In October of 2023, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Fifield-Cahill Ridge Trail, a 10-mile-long trail in the Peninsula Watershed that has served over 18,000 guests since its opening in 2003. The Fifield-Cahill Ridge Trail (FCRT) has played a crucial role in introducing Bay Area nature lovers to the beautiful ecosystems and carefully operated reservoirs in the Peninsula Watershed. The FCRT program provides recreational access to an area of the Peninsula Watershed that was closed to the public prior to the trail’s opening. 

The Peninsula Watershed, located 13 miles south of San Francisco, houses five reservoirs that have provided drinking water to San Francisco and other cities on the Peninsula since the 1860s. In 1930, the SFPUC purchased the Spring Valley Water Company’s assets, including the 23,000-acre Peninsula Watershed. The SFPUC has managed the watershed to protect source water quality and wildlife habitat ever since. 

“The Peninsula Watershed lands contribute 90-95% of the rainwater obtained by the five reservoirs on the Peninsula. By managing land uses, the SFPUC can protect source water quality, which is the overarching watershed management goal on the Peninsula,” explains John Fournet, Community Liaison for the Natural Resources Division of the SFPUC. 

Fournet has worked on the Peninsula Watershed for the last 24 years. He helped the SFPUC implement the state and federal permitting requirements needed to open the trail on the watershed. In August of 2003, the Fifield-Cahill Ridge Trail officially opened to hikers, bikers, and equestrians led by volunteers trained in implementing the mitigation required by the Environmental Impact Report and related permits. Since then, over 300 volunteers have been integral in ensuring safe and effective excursions on the watershed. 

“The public outreach included in Ridge Trail Program facilitated and enhanced communication between the SFPUC, our stakeholders, and adjacent communities. It created transparency that allowed people to understand what we do and why we do it,” Fournet added. During their visit, guests are taught about source water protection and the SFPUC’s conservation efforts. This includes supporting the highest concentration of rare, threatened, and endangered species out of all nine Bay Area counties. 
Guests on the Fifield-Cahill Ridge Trail can also experience the rarity of almost completely undeveloped land. The trail winds through diverse environments like Douglas-fir forests, serpentine grasslands, chaparral, and coastal scrub. Several ridge-top vistas offer stunning views of the reservoirs, the Pacific Ocean, and the San Francisco Bay.  

“It’s all about balance. We’ve done a lot to integrate the Ridge Trail into our operations and avoid conflict between user groups,” Fournet said.  “We schedule events and provide Trail Leader Volunteers to lead them. Our volunteers do a great job of telling our story as a utility. The Peninsula Watershed protection team, especially our Watershed Keepers, manage the events out on the Trail. The program would not exist without support by our Keepers”. 

In the next twenty years, Fournet and his team want to continue to expand access and education. Upcoming trail enhancements include new trail signs, an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant and multisensory loop, and a new staging area. Additionally, the Fifield-Cahill Ridge Trail will soon be extended six miles south from Highway 92 to the Phleger Estate, running the full length of the watershed. 

“Educating people on our work helps them appreciate similar wildland management programs across the state and what goes into them. We hope people will take what they learn here and be able to see other natural resource management activities statewide through that lens. It only takes one person caring about something to make a difference,” said Fournet. 

The SFPUC looks forward to continuing to share the Peninsula Watershed’s natural beauty and educational opportunities with guests. To make a reservation for the Fifield-Cahill Ridge Trail, please visit the trail’s webpage. To learn more about the SFPUC’s water and resource management, please visit the agency’s website.