Building the Dam. ", "Hetch Hetchy reclaimed: The dam downstream", "Alternatives for restoration of Hetch Hetchy Valley following removal of the dam and reservoir page 15", "Chapter 9: Impact of restoration on hydropower production and revenues", "Putting Bay Area's Water Sources to a Vote", "Hodel Would Tear Down Dam in Hetch Hetchy", "On Hetch Hetchy, John Muir was wrong: California's revered naturalist wrote a poetic diatribe against the drowning of the great valley. Instead, the magnificence of a valley often described as Yosemite Valleys slightly smaller twin takes center stage. between those who wish to retain the dam and reservoir, and those who wish to drain the reservoir and return Hetch Hetchy Valley to its former state. [37][38] However, ranchers who had previously owned land in the new park continued their use of Hetch Hetchy Valley a "sheep-grazing free-for-all [that] threatened to denude the High Sierra meadows"[37] before disputes over state and private properties in respect to national park boundaries were finally settled in the early 1900s. Hetch Hetchy Dome, at 6,197ft (1,889m), lies directly north of it. Gifford Pinchot wanted the U.S Forest Service to control the parks, but after his support to dam Hetchy Hetchy, Congress voted in 1916 to to establish the National Park Service whose sole purpose was "to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wild life therein and to provide for the . Would that be an improvement? Slow down and spend the day at Tenaya Lake a beautiful and easy-to-get-to alpine lake cupped by granite domes. [21] Periodic clearing of the valley provided ample space for the growth of the grasses and shrubs they relied on, as well as additional room for large game animals such as deer to browse. He had journeyed to Washington to lobby the federal government on behalf of the project. It marks the first catchment in a 160-mile long water system that brings high quality, superb-tasting water to 2.6 million residents of the Bay Area every day. [36] Muir's friend Robert Underwood Johnson of the politically influential Century Magazine and several other prominent figures were inspired by Muir's work and helped to get Yosemite National Park established by October 1, 1890. During summer, people of the Miwok and Paiute came to Hetch Hetchy from the Central Valley in the west and the Great Basin in the east. Hetch Hetchy and Yosemite Valley are so similar because they were created by the same sequences of geological activity. [31] Its meadows provided abundant feed for "thousands of head of sheep and cattle that entered lean and lank in the spring, but left rolling fat and hardly able to negotiate the precipitous and difficult defiles out of the mountains in the fall. The Hetch Hetchy Dam is destroying a piece of land that is the homes of multiple types of animals. . For John Muir, it was about preserving a natural wonder which could be enjoyed by generations to come. On December 19, 1913, Congress passed and President Wilson signed the Raker Act which permitted the building of the OShaughnessy Dam and the flooding of the Hetch Hethcy Valley in Yosemite National Park. Upcountry and the Bay Area. The trail to Wapama Falls is one of the most popular trails in the Hetch Hetchy area for a good reason. No picture of the giant sequoia trees in Yosemite National Park manages to fully capture their immense size and majesty. The controversy over damming Hetch Hetchy became mired in the political issues of the day. A Dam Removal in Progress. Public disapproval nationwide with the Raker Act helped to bring about the creation of the National Park Service. Some of these studies determined that the idea of draining the reservoir was technically feasible but incredibly costly. San Francisco assumed from the outset that there would not be significant opposition to using the Hetch Hetchy Valley, even if it was in a national park, for the high and noble purpose of providing water to one of the nations great and growing metropolises, so their efforts in Washington, DC, were conducted discreetly. [2] The dam and reservoir are the centerpiece of the Hetch Hetchy Project, which in 1934 began to deliver water 167 miles (269km) west to San Francisco and its client municipalities in the greater San Francisco Bay Area. And in a larger sense, the waters of California served as the converting agents. At the time, neither side understood the long-range consequences of human actions to manage the environment. As the grazing of livestock damaged native plants in the Hetch Hetchy Valley, mountaineer and naturalist John Muir pressed for the protection of both valleys under a single national park. Get SPUR news and events delivered straight to your email inbox. The Hetch Hetchy Dam in the Yosemite Valley, receives the bulk of it's water from the sierra snow pack miles above the reservoir. The same features that make Hetch Hetchy Valley so spectacular also make it an ideal location for a dam. She says the water first leaves Hetch Hetchy through the O'Shaughnessy Dam. [56] All four pipelines cross the Hayward fault. . "[65] Harold L. Ickes, Secretary of the Interior in the late 1930s, said there was a violation of the Raker Act, but he and the city reached an agreement in 1945. On returning home, he asked an Indian chief the name of the valley. Environmentalists lost what was the opening battle in a fight to preserve Americas natural wonders. As well dam for water-tanks the peoples cathedrals and churches, for no holier temple has ever been consecrated by the heart of man.. It has not been demonstrated that Hetch Hetchy is the only available source, but only that it might be the cheapest. Hetch Hetchy Valley, dammed and flooded in the 1920s despite bitter opposition from Sierra Club founder John Muir, provides drinking water for an estimated 2 million people in the San Francisco . strongly against restoration. Located 30 miles southeast of Las Vegas, the dam captures water from the . The waterfall on the Tuolumne is now submerged under Hetch Hetchy Reservoir. [8], While its cousin Yosemite Valley to the south had permanent Miwok settlements,[25] Hetch Hetchy was only seasonally inhabited. Horace Albright, the second director of the National Park Service, wrote that Franklin Lanes appointment to the cabinet was made specifically for the purpose of pushing this [Hetch Hetchy project], the so-called Raker-Pittman Bill. (Source: The Battle Over Hetch Hetchy, Robert W. Righter). Hoover Dam. In 1987, President Reagans Secretary of the Interior, Donald Hodel, proposed that Hetch Hetchy be restored. Some years later, water began flowing to San Francisco. Fortunately, that time has not yet come, so this November, vote no on the Water Sustainability and Environmental Restoration Planning Act of 2012. Lets keep Hetch Hetchy around for the forseeable future. The dam is a small portion of the overall Tuolumne River/San Francisco storage system that benefits the Bay Area. The grassroots organization of environmental activism, established by John Muir and his supporters, became a model for future environmentalists. Gray pine, incense-cedar, and California black oak grow in abundance. It is the primary water source for about 2.5 million residents of the San Francisco Bay Area. His path roughly follows the John Muir Highway State Highway 132 that runs from Highway 49 in Coulterville up through Greeley Hill before connecting back into Highway 120 before Buck Meadows and the turn-off to Hetch Hetchy. It pitted Gifford Pinchot, Americas first forester, against John Muir, Americas legendary conservationist. During the late 19th century, the valley was renowned for its natural beauty often compared to that of Yosemite Valley but also targeted for the development of water supply for irrigation and municipal interests. ", "Fall in the Main Tuolumne River at the Head of Hetch Hetchy Valley", "Fly Fishing Poopenaut Valley Tuolumne River", "Screech Brothers Find Hetch Hetchy Valley", "Big Oak Flat (No. The network goes from the Sierra Nevada mountains, across the Central Valley and out to the coast, and serves 2.5 million Californians in 30 cities across four counties. The . Would there be any room in an acquisitive society for wildness, or for non material spiritual values?. They acknowledge that a concerted effort would have to be made to control the introduction of wildlife and tourism back into the valley in order to prevent destabilization of the ecosystem,[68] and that it might be decades or even centuries before the valley could be returned to natural conditions. And Hetch Hetchy's damming has inspired generations of conservationists to protect our natural heritage and to commit to safeguarding our protected areas. At SPUR, we have done a lot of work on climate change adaptation. [40] The city would repeatedly try to acquire water rights to Hetch Hetchy, including in 1901, 1903 and 1905, but was continually rebuffed because of conflicts with irrigation districts that had senior water rights on the Tuolumne River, and because of the valley's national park status. The trail continues to climb for 1.8 miles (2.8 km) above the trail intersection, but you can turn around any time. Spring and early summer bring wildflowers including lupine, wallflower, monkey flower, and buttercup. [79] Some observers, such as Carl Pope (director of the Sierra Club), stated that Hodel had political motives[80] in proposing the study. Such new supplies are not guaranteed to have the low greenhouse gas emissions profile that Hetch Hetchy water and power do and they could worsen climate change while increasing our vulnerability to it. And today there is even an organization, Restore Hetch Hetchy, which is committed to doing just that. Guests at these suites receive breakfast on their patios. Let us introduce you to some of the unique giant sequoia groves in the Yosemite Mariposa County area the Merced, Tuolumne, and Mariposa Groves are inside Yosemite National Park, and the Nelder Grove is just outside the park boundary to the south. Hours: Year-round, but only accessible by car when the Hetch Hetchy Road is open. While youre at it, plan to add to the historic flavor of this route with a stop the Northern Mariposa County History Center. Hydroelectric power generated from the Hetch Hetchy project is largely sold to Bay Area customers through a private power company, Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E). [2], Wapama Falls, at 1,080ft (330m), and Tueeulala Falls, at 840ft (260m) both among the tallest waterfalls in North America are both located in Hetch Hetchy Valley. We're not going to remove this dam, and the funding is unnecessary. [24] It is likely that the edible grass was blue dicks. No BS! A large part of today's incentive for restoration is that when the dam and the Hetch Hetchy reservoir were authorized by President Woodrow Wilson in 1913, as the Raker Act, the Hetch Hetchy Valley . Should natural resources be used to serve the greatest good for the greatest number? Water could be diverted into the Kirkwood and Moccasin Powerhouses using lower-impact diversion dams, providing power generation on a seasonal basis, and the enlarged height at Don Pedro would also increase power generation there. Furthermore, they provided a place for the wild plants and creatures to live out their own lives, according to their purposes. It is 13 miles from the Yosemite National Park border and twice as close to the park than the town of Groveland. Learn what to expect from Mirror Lake in various seasons. The privately owned Spring Valley Water Company had required its customers to pay exorbitant rates for years. Yet it also highlighted the division within the conservation movement over two fundamental principles: utilitarian conservation versus preservation. Fourth, dams alter water quality. [15] When the glacier retreated for the final time, sediment-laden meltwater deposited thick layers of silt, forming the flat alluvial floodplain of the valley floor. [17] The valley's abundant plants provided nourishment for mule deer, black bears and bighorn sheep. The Hetch Hetchy Valley is a part of Yosemite National Park. The SFPUC tests its quality more than 100,000 times a year to ensure that it exceeds all safe drinking water standards. That's about twice the amount of power lost when Hetch Hetchy will be restored. This effort was famously and vociferously fought by John Muir and was the subject of a national debate for years; the loss later galvanized the Sierra Club to successfully oppose large dams in Dinosaur National Monument and Grand Canyon National Park. Due to extreme winter weather, Yosemite National Park is closed with no estimated date of reopening. Right next to the Lucky Buck Cafe, youll find the Yosemite Westgate Lodge and Buck Meadows Lodge. [58], Water from Hetch Hetchy is some of the cleanest municipal water in the United States; San Francisco is one of six U.S. cities not required by law to filter its tap water, although the water is disinfected by ozonation and, since 2011, exposure to UV. The dam and reservoir are the source for the Hetch Hetchy Aqueduct, which provides water for over . As in Yosemite, the sublime rocks of its walls seem to glow with life . Just before reaching the Bay Area, it passes through the Irvington tunnel near the city of Fremont, and the aqueduct splits into four pipelines at 373253N 1215555W / 37.548104N 121.932041W / 37.548104; -121.932041. As we all know, there is no use of water that is higher than the domestic use., He went on to say, We come straight to the question of whether the advantage of leaving this valley in a state of nature is greater than the advantage of using it for the benefit of the city of San Francisco.. Forests might provide for the material well-being of human beings, but they did not exist for this reason alone. The chief replied, There is no valley. [40] By the 1880s, San Francisco was looking to Hetch Hetchy water as a fix for its outdated and unreliable water system. [9] Formerly, a "small but noisy"[10] waterfall and natural pool existed on the Tuolumne River marked the upper entrance to Hetch Hetchy Valley,[11] informally known as Tuolumne Fall (not to be confused with a similarly named waterfall several miles upriver near Tuolumne Meadows). In the Bay Area, Hetch Hetchy water is stored in local facilities including Calaveras Reservoir, Crystal Springs Reservoir, and San Antonio Reservoir. By 1908, a different Interior Secretary, James R. Garfield, sided with the utilitarian conservationists and issued a permit for the Hetch Hetchy project. Congress, confronted with rising public opposition, refused to act on the measure. The deciding factor was whether or not the land in question had access to water. Not to be outdone by Los Angeles, San Francisco had a greater feat in mind: dam the Hetch Hetchy Valley in Yosemite National Park and pipe the water into San Francisco. Franklin Lane served as the attorney for the city of San Francisco in 1903. OShaughnessy Dam and the waterworks that connect it to the Bay Area are a marvel of engineering. Dam Hetch Hetchy! The idea of punching a hole in or removing the dam and allowing the valley to be restored to its pre-development conditions has been around since the late 1980s. Due to its high-altitude location at 3,900 feet above sea level and its snowmelt-fed water supply, water from Hetch Hetchy Reservoir behind O'Shaughnessy Dam does not require filtration. The reservoir is eight miles long and the largest single body of water in Yosemite. The battle for Hetch Hetchy was perhaps the first effort at what is now known as "grassroots lobbying," getting individual citizens to contact elected officials in support . Pinchot was recognized as a leader of the conservation movement. [64] Peter Byrne of SF Weekly has stated that "the plain language of the Raker Act itself and experts who are familiar with the act (and have no stake in city politics) all agree: The city of San Francisco is not in violation of the Raker Act. The Blackberry Inn Bed and Breakfast is just one of many welcoming businesses located on the way to Hetch Hetchy. Muir predicted that this lake would create an unsightly "bathtub ring" around its perimeter, caused by the water's destruction of lichen growth on the canyon walls,[44] which would inevitably be visible at low lake levels. Within three years, Congress had passed the Organic Act, formally defining the parks and creating a new federal agency, the National Park Service, with a mission: to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wild life therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.. This is also a place imbued with history: San Franciscos congressional delegation won the right to build the dam in 1913, to secure a reliable source of water in the wake of the 1906 earthquake. Indeed, Hetch Hetchy today[when?] National opinion divided between giving San Francisco the right to dam the valley and preserving the valley from development. In November 2012, San Francisco voters soundly rejected Proposition F,[86] which would have required the city to conduct an $8 million study on how the flooded valley could be drained and restored to its former state. [75] The remaining deficit would likely have to be replaced by polluting fossil fuel generation. By 1908, a different Interior Secretary, James R. Garfield, sided with the utilitarian conservationists and issued a permit for the Hetch Hetchy project. Study with Quizlet and memorize flashcards containing terms like The 1987 UN Commission on Sustainability first introduced the concept of ________ as a necessary focus for maintaining sustainability. We have historic photographs to remind us of what Hetch Hetchy Valley looked like before the dam was built. [53], As completed, O'Shaughnessy Dam is 910 feet (280m) long, spanning the valley at its narrow outlet. In: Educational Resources, History, National Parks, Your email address will not be published. The Hetch Hetchy Valley was within Yosemite National Park and protected by the federal government, leaving it up to Congress to decide the valley's fate. [2] From Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, the water flows through the Canyon and Mountain Tunnels to Kirkwood and Moccasin Powerhouses, which have capacities of 124 and 110 megawatts, respectively. Smith Peak (7,751 feet) is the highest point in the area and offers outstanding views. An advantage which Phelan, Pinchot and other supporters of the dam project enjoyed was a divided opposition. [49], The narrow defile at the lower end of Hetch Hetchy Valley where San Francisco planned to dam the Tuolumne River, seen in 1914 before construction began, The same area seen today, with O'Shaughnessy Dam and Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, Hetch Hetchy Valley serves as the primary water source for the City and County of San Francisco and several surrounding municipalities in the greater San Francisco Bay Area. Swimming and boating are prohibited in Hetch Hetchy Reservoir in order to maintain a clean source of drinking water. So the idea of planning for new water supplies need not be on the ballot. It pitted a powerful city against a dedicated group of conservationists. Impounded by O'Shaughnessy Dam, Hetch Hetchy Reservoir water passes through hydroelectric powerhouses before it enters the San Joaquin Pipelines, the Tesla Ultraviolet Treatment Facility, and the Coast Range Tunnel on its journey to the Bay Area. The Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, which lies within the Yosemite National Park, supplies 85% of the water needs of San Francisco and surrounding counties. The dam in the Hetch Hetchy valley of Yosemite National Park, first proposed in 1908, was intended to create a reservoir that would provide water and electricity for the burgeoning city of San Francisco. These clean and comfortable rooms also enjoy access to the pool, spa and other facilities at Yosemite Westgate Lodge. In terms of quality, Hetch Hetchy water is so pristine that it is one of only a handful of water supplies in the country that doesn't need to be filtered, a process that is expensive and energy intensive. At full capacity, the reservoir stretches eight miles (13 km) upstream of the OShaughnessy Dam. But if you still have energy, continue past the bridge to Rancheria Falls. Gifford Pinchot: A 2021 Lesson From Americas First Forester, Meet The Real Life Batman & Robin Of The National Parks, Natural Rivals: John Muir, Gifford Pinchot, and the Creation of Americas Public Lands, Gifford Pinchot and the Making of Modern Environmentalism, Son of the Wilderness: The Life of John Muir, General Sherman Tree: Everything You Need to Know About The Largest Tree in the World, 11 BEST National Parks Near San Francisco to Visit (Expert Guide), 7 EPIC National Parks Near Santa Ana Youll Love (Photos + Guide). Sign up for helpful guides, beautiful videos, and insider tips on the national parks. As well dam for water tanks the peoples cathedrals and churches, for no holier temple has ever been consecrated by the heart of man.'. From this work, we have concluded that it is not wise to reduce water storage facilities considering the realities of a growing population and climate change. The glacial Hetch Hetchy Valley lies in the northwestern part of Yosemite National Park and is drained by the Tuolumne River. Owned by the city of San Francisco, Hetch Hetchy Reservoir provides water to 2.7 million residents and businesses in the San Francisco Bay Area. As a result, San Francisco secured a reliable and . It is spectacular: a miles-long placid blue lake nested within towering granite cliffs, from which waterfalls cascade. Photo: Kim Lawson. As surely as forests provided timber, so did they provide beauty, inspiration, and the renewal of over-citified spirits. They suggest that draining the reservoir and turning Hetch Hetchy Valley into a tourist center similar to Yosemite Valley could be worth up to $178 million per year. The Tuolumne River, the source of. If youre especially in the mood to relax and let yourself be taken care of, The Blackberry Inn is a luxury bed and breakfast situated on 36 acres and surrounded by National Forest land. (Read SPURs analysis of this plan.) [citation needed], The Hetch Hetchy Valley began as a V-shaped river canyon cut out by the ancestral Tuolumne River. The Tuolumne River originates in the peaks above Tuolumne Meadows and is the major drainage system for the northern part of Yosemite. [42] They claimed the valley was not unique and would be even more beautiful with a lake. This was likely because of Hetch Hetchy's narrow outlet, which in years of heavy snowmelt created a bottleneck in the Tuolumne River and the subsequent flooding of the valley floor. The most prominent preservationist spokesman was John Muir.. The Freeman Report artfully depicted reservoirs in Norway, the United Kingdom and the eastern United States showing how nature and public utility worked together to improve their surroundings and provide long-term benefits for everyone. Use good judgment and stay safe. Then, well need to weigh our options for other new large water supplies, all of which will have enormous environmental tradeoffs: think of building a desalination plant, fighting with Los Angeles over the Sacramento Delta, building a peripheral canal or siting new large dams in presently undammed Sierra mountains and foothills. The OShaughnessy Dam was completed in 1938 and is 430-feet tall. They were both initially carved by rivers flowing down the Sierras relatively gentle western slope. Slow-moving reservoirs heat up, resulting in abnormal temperature fluctuations which can affect sensitive species. [20] They hunted, and gathered seeds and edible plants to furnish themselves winter food, trade items, and materials for art and ceremonial objects. In the autumn of 1871, John Muir visited Hetch Hetchy for the first time. Denouncing dam proponents as greedy, he wrote, These temple destroyers, devotees of ravaging commercialism, seem to have a perfect contempt for Nature, and instead of lifting their eyes to the God of the Mountains, life them to the Almighty Dollar. [citation needed] The George W. Bush administration proposed allocating $7 million to studying the removal of the dam in the 2007 National Park Service budget. Park entry (as needed). "[22], The valley's name may be derived from a Miwok word earlier anglicized as hatchhatchie, which means "edible grasses"[8][23] or "magpie". It is the source of water for the city of San Francisco. Hetch Hetchy Valley was once home to a richly diverse ecosystem, surrounded by towering cliffs and waterfalls similar to those in neighboring Yosemite Valley. Without Hetch Hetchy as its primary reservoir, San Francisco will be forced to pump and filter its water for the first time in a century, and lose out on the 726 million kilowatt-hours produced by . You could miss this small mountain community if you blink at the wrong time, but it is home to a few remarkable small businesses. Controversy continues to swirl around the Hetch Hetchy Dam even now. What should be the fate of prairies, wetlands, or coastal marshes? The water from Hetch Hetchy Reservoir is used to supply system customers as well as to generate hydroelectric power; the reservoir is also operated to provide instream flows to benefit fisheries and other wildlife. [73] Furthermore, the removal of O'Shaughnessy Dam would not require costly sediment control measures, as would be typical on most dam removal projects, because of the high quality of the Tuolumne River water in the first 90 years since its construction, only around 2in (5.1cm) of sediment had been deposited in Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, much less than most other dams. Like Muir, she felt the beauty of the valley was a national treasure which ought to be preserved. He produced at least four oil paintings of the valley one of which is prominently displayed in Mount Holyoke Colleges art museum. Hetch Hetchy Valley is a treasure worth visiting. Principally, dam removal on the Klamath will require annual replacement of 696 gigawatt hours of electricity by other means. All offers, including but not limited to, bonus amenities, upgrades, prices, and group benefits are based on select dates, resorts, room categories, and/or fare codes. The O'Shaughnessy Dam was completed in 1923 and, after the . The San Francisco Bulletin printed a Dec. 1, 1913, story calling the bills opponents a crowd ofnature lovers and fakers, who are waging a sentimental campaign to preserve the Hetch Hetchy Valley as a public playground, a purpose for which it has never been used.. The water is transported from the reservoir by the Hetch Hetchy Aqueduct which is made up of 170 miles of gravity-driven pipelines, dams, and other reservoirs. Once again, the political pendulum had swung. This time it was in favor those who wanted to preserve the valley for generations yet to come. The Tuolumne River continues through Tuolumne Meadows and the associated park developments at an elevation of 8,600 feet. Monroe went on to lobby members of Congress as the battle moved to Washington D.C. She was a tireless advocate who believed that people needed to be educated in order to do what was best for everyone involved. The Hetch Hetchy dam would still be as naturally beautiful as it was before when it was preserved, and along with that, the construction of the dam will benefit the greatest number of. However, the same NPS study also finds that with intensive management, an outcome in which "the entire valley would appear much as it did before construction of the reservoir" is feasible. Hetch Hetchy doesn't require permit, you need just regular National park pass.
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