Photo: Kim Lawson. Building a dam there was off the table. Hetch Hetchy is an iconic, rare and spectacular landscape, Hetch Hetchy is part of Yosemite National Park and its damming and flooding is by far the worst destruction of our national parks have ever experienced Restoration would not only make Yosemite whole once again it would inspire people that we don't need to live with mistakes of the past" Could you imagine building a dam inside a national park today? Why we must restore Hetch Hetchy - SFGATE The walls of both are of gray granite, rise abruptly out of the flowery grass and groves are sculptured in the same style, and in both every rock is a glacial monument., (Source: Journal of Sierra Nevada History & Biography, Hetch-Hetchy, Natural History Before The Dam, Joe Medeiros), In defense of Hetch Hetchy, Muir crafted some of his most famous prose. Most people called it Hetch Hetchy, a mispronunciation of a Central Mohawk word for a plant that indigenous people were harvesting there when the first white man came along.. The first Moccasin Powerhouse in Moccasin, California began commercial operation in 1925 followed by the Holm Powerhouse in 1960 (the same month the Early Intake Powerhouse was taken out of service). Before they could break ground at the OShaughnessy Dam, more infrastructure was required. It is the source of water for the city of San Francisco. [46], Work on the Hetch Hetchy Project began in 1914. You may take easy hike to Wapama falls ( around 6 miles) or even more challenging hike to Rancheria falls ( around 14 miles). Even before it was finished, the massive . The locations of these two formations roughly correspond with those of Cathedral Rocks and El Capitan seen from Tunnel View in Yosemite Valley. Animals were principally driven along Joseph Screech's trail from Big Oak Flat to Hetch Hetchy. [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. Mirror Lakes famous spring-time reflections capture the eye and mind. [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. Slow-moving reservoirs heat up, resulting in abnormal temperature fluctuations which can affect sensitive species. remains the least visited area of the park. 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. [4] A broad, low rocky outcrop situated between Kolana Rock and Hetch Hetchy Dome divided the former meadow in two distinct sections. Three strikes for San Francisco | Restore Hetch Hetchy It is definitely worth to visit Hetch Hetchy area especially in 2021 when main Yosemite area requires booking permits in advance. Dam Hetch Hetchy! [54][55], After passing through the powerhouses, Hetch Hetchy water flows into the 167mi (269km) Hetch Hetchy Aqueduct which travels across the Central Valley. There have been lawsuits over whether San Francisco violated the agreements of the Raker Act. A) 5 billion B . There, he met the same Indian chief and his wives. [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. The main problem with the measure is that in spite of appearing to be about studying best options or planning for future water supplies, it has pre-determined the solution: draining Hetch Hetchy Reservoir. There are thousands of dams in the United States. Most people turn around here anyway. So the idea of planning for new water supplies need not be on the ballot. [57] Pipelines 3 and 4 end at the Pulgas Water Temple, a small park that contains classical architectural elements which celebrate the water delivery. He had journeyed to Washington to lobby the federal government on behalf of the project. In the foreground, the deep still water of Hetch Hetchy Reservoir reflects sunshine, clouds and the proud shadows of the surrounding mountains. Second, dams slow rivers. 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. 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. The SFPUC and other Hetch Hetchy users are currently implementing plans to meet this demand through recycled water, groundwater and conservation. To get the electricity they would need, they first built a smaller dam at Lake Eleanor. The upcountry portion of the System begins with Hetch Hetchy Reservoir in Yosemite National Park. The other route begins at the entrance station and is 16 miles round-trip with 3,300 feet of elevation gain. Her poetic descriptions of Hetch hetchy won her the attention of powerful members of Congress. [85] The Hetch Hetchy dam is upstream on the Tuolumne River from a reservoir nearly six times as large. DWRs meta-study found a range of costs from $3 billion to $10 billion for restoration and replacement of water and power sources. Most importantly, San Francisco would lose its source of high-quality mountain water, and would have to depend on lower-quality water from other reservoirs which would require costly filtration and re-engineering of the aqueduct system to meet its needs. It has two trailhead options. Included with your registration: Two-day guided experience in Yosemite; one day at Hetch Hetchy and one day in Ackerson Meadow (Saturday, May 11, at 8 am, through Sunday, May 12, until about 3 pm). Annie Li, a senior engineer at the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, points to the yellow and brown squiggly lines on the map, revealing our water's path from Hetch Hetchy to the Bay Area. [66] In 2015, Restore Hetch Hetchy filed a complaint arguing that the construction of the dam had violated a provision in the constitution of California about water use, but the lawsuit was rejected by an appeals court and later the California State Supreme Court. By Posted student houses falmouth 2021 In jw marriott panama concierge lounge 2 Existing Regional Water System - San Francisco The pressure that Muir and his compatriots generated in 1908 and 1909 did not dissuade the administration from its support of the Hetch Hetchy dam, but this pressure was quite effective in the realm of electoral politics. The question Pinchot always asked was, What is the greatest good for the greatest number?, He was famously quoted as saying, Where conflicting interests must be reconciled, the question shall always be answered from the standpoint of the greatest good of the greatest number in the long run., RELATED: Gifford Pinchot: A 2021 Lesson From Americas First Forester, In his congressional testimony, Pinchot argued in favor of building the dam. It is only a cut in the hills through which the Tuolumne River runs, but if you think there might be a valley keep looking and if you find such a place I will give it to you., Nate went on looking for the valley. In 2007, in approving the environmental impact report for the Water System Improvement Program an investment of more than $4 billion to shore up the seismic reliability of the Hetch Hetchy water system the SFPUC gave itself, and its wholesale customers on the peninsula, ten years to develop a plan that would identify reliable alternative sources of water to meet the regions future growth in demand, rather than diverting more water from the Tuolumne River. [39], Interest in using the valley as a water source or reservoir dates back as far as the 1850s, when the Tuolumne Valley Water Company proposed developing water storage there for irrigation. 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.. Hetch Hetchy is on the main stem of the Tuolumne River and is part of the Tuolumne watershed. [69], In 1987, the idea of razing the O'Shaughnessy Dam gained an adherent in Don Hodel, Secretary of the Department of the Interior under President Ronald Reagan. Browers Hetch Hetchy: Undoing A Great American Mistake, makes a compelling case for restoring the valley to its previous glory. [75] The remaining deficit would likely have to be replaced by polluting fossil fuel generation. A full breakfast is served in the dining room. Finally, with the railroad complete, teams broke ground on the OShaughnessy Dam on August 1, 1919. 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). 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. The watershed is also strictly protected, so swimming and boating are prohibited at the reservoir (although fishing is permitted at the reservoir and in the rivers which feed it),[60] a measure which is considered unusual for US lakes outside the region. Then it travels through a series of mountain tunnels. 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. For example, plan to stop at the Lucky Buck Cafe on your way to or from a day of exploring Yosemite. The trail includes spectacular views of Tueeulala and Wapama Falls. As a consequence, visitors came to experience it for themselves. Valley, reservoir, and aqueduct in California, USA, sfn error: no target: CITEREFMatthes1930 (, sfn error: no target: CITEREFWohlforth2004 (, sfn error: no target: CITEREFWhitney1874 (, sfn error: no target: CITEREFGlennon2009 (, San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Hetch Hetchy, List of dams and reservoirs in California, List of the tallest dams in the United States, "Alternatives for Restoration of Hetch Hetchy Valley Following Removal of the Dam and Reservoir", "Hetch Hetchy Reclaimed: Drain it, then what? As John Clayton writes, At the height of Progressivism, Phelan and other good-government types believed that the city should administer its own utilities. Today the 117-billion-gallon reservoir supplies drinking water to about 2.5 million San Francisco Bay Area residents and hydro-electric power generated by two plants downstream. This ballot measure is so problematic that SPUR has taken early action to oppose it. The Hetch Hetchy Road drops into the valley at the dam, but all points east of there are roadless, and accessible only to hikers and equestrians. Photo: Kim Lawson. These are called Bay Division Pipelines (BDPL) 1, 2, 3, and 4, with nominal pipeline diameters of 60, 66, 78, and 96 inches (1.5, 1.7, 2.0 and 2.4m, respectively). It involved the unintended consequences of efforts to shape the environment to meet human needs. Standing upon it will give you the chance to appreciate the sublimity of both nature and human achievement. Subsequent proposals for development in our national parks have been defeated by citizen activists inspired by calls to remember Hetch Hetchy. Hetch Hetchy is a valley, a reservoir, and a water system in California in the United States. [17] The valley's abundant plants provided nourishment for mule deer, black bears and bighorn sheep. Another popular trail crosses the OShaughnessy Dam and then takes a left turn to climb steeply out of the Hetch Hetchy valley. If you want to follow the old railroad line today, the Hetch Hetchy Road and most of the Mather Road were built on the old railroad bed and are beautiful scenic drives as well. Lawsuit to drain Hetch Hetchy Reservoir goes back to court [citation needed], The Hetch Hetchy Valley began as a V-shaped river canyon cut out by the ancestral Tuolumne River. From the turn-off, the road winds for 16.5 miles up the old Hetch Hetchy railroad grade (26.5 km) to the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, passing many lonely trails along the way. Not far from there, youll find more budget-minded lodging at Buck Meadows Lodge. If youre excited about a long hike or backpacking trip, you can continue to Laurel Lake for a 14.2-mile (22.9 km) out and back. The chief replied, There is no valley. For your last day, enjoy a short hike on the shores of the beautiful Hetch Hetchy Reservoir. California needed secure, reliable access to drinking water for their burgeoning populations. [47] On October 28, 1934 twenty years after the beginning of construction on the Hetch Hetchy project a crowd of 20,000 San Franciscans gathered to celebrate the arrival of the first Hetch Hetchy water in the city. 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. Instead, it was a more complicated battle which pitted public interests against private interests. That reservoir is New Don Pedro, and it rests over existing pipelines to the Bay Area. Its a a wonderful place to see spring waterfalls and wildflower displays. Watershed Worker (Summer, 2023) - Hetch Hetchy Water & Power (Moccasin The Dam Rent Is Too Low - PERC It would be almost impossible to build a new dam there today. She says the water first leaves Hetch Hetchy through the O'Shaughnessy Dam. Residents drink it in 26 cities and water districts from San. Smith Peak (7,751 feet) is the highest point in the area and offers outstanding views. San Francisco applied to the United States Department of the Interior to gain water rights to Hetch Hetchy, and in 1908 President Theodore Roosevelt's Secretary of the Interior, James R. Garfield, granted San Francisco the rights to development of the Tuolumne River. Like Muir, he was totally transfixed by the Hetch Hetchy Valley. Winter weather conditions may cause road closures. For all the similarities between Hetch Hetchy Valley and Yosemite Valley, there is one enormous difference the Hetch Hetchy reservoir. If you delight in getting off the well-beaten path, or if you are looking for a peaceful natural retreat, its perfection. The Tuolumne River originates in the peaks above Tuolumne Meadows and is the major drainage system for the northern part of Yosemite. Apply Today! 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. As a 13.4-mile (21.4 km) round-trip hike, Rancheria Falls gets fewer day-hikers than Wapama Falls but is a popular backpacking stop. While the debate goes on, Hetch Hetchy remains a relaxing and often-overlooked corner of the park - much to the delight of hikers and backpackers who prefer less touristy experiences. Youll just need to see them for yourself. There is no Starbucks here no daily parade of tour buses and RVs. benefits of hetch hetchy dam - Lindon CPA's The grassroots organization of environmental activism, established by John Muir and his supporters, became a model for future environmentalists. It has not been demonstrated that Hetch Hetchy is the only available source, but only that it might be the cheapest. Hetch Hetchy Quotes - Rausser College of Natural Resources This reservoir on the Sacramento River has been planned for decades 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 . 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. Other trails also continue to Lake Vernon. He said, So we come now face to face with the perfectly clean question of what is the best use to which this water that flows out of the Sierras can be put. You can expect one (short) email per month. Hetch Hetchy Reservoir (Yosemite National Park) - Tripadvisor Due to extreme winter weather, Yosemite National Park is closed with no estimated date of reopening. [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. The Tuolumne River, the source of. [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. Off Deadline: Is 'Restore Hetch Hetchy' a pipe dream or a living vision More Than Just Parks | National Parks Guides. In 1967 the Robert C. Kirkwood Powerhouse started commercial operation followed by a New Moccasin Powerhouse in 1969 when the Old Moccasin Powerhouse was taken out of service. 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. In its natural state, the valley floor was marshy and often flooded in the spring when snow melt in the high Sierra cascaded down the Tuolumne River and backed up behind the narrow gorge which is now spanned by O'Shaughnessy Dam. The surface of the water hides an additional 300 feet of granite cliffs and once-upon-a-time waterfalls within its depths. Glaciers followed these low-points, leaving their own marks in particular carving out the characteristic U-shaped valley with steep sides and wide floor. Hetch Hetchy Water & Power plans five-year $140M Mountain Tunnel "[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. [8], While its cousin Yosemite Valley to the south had permanent Miwok settlements,[25] Hetch Hetchy was only seasonally inhabited. An advantage which Phelan, Pinchot and other supporters of the dam project enjoyed was a divided opposition. Hiking Hetch Hetchy: the unknown Yosemite National Park - 2TravelDads Put another way, if Congress denied the city of San Francisco the Hetch Hetchy Valley, the California Progressive leaders suspected that it would only be a matter of time before the emerging Pacific Gas and Electric Company would grab the area. As surely as forests provided timber, so did they provide beauty, inspiration, and the renewal of over-citified spirits. Swimming and boating are prohibited in Hetch Hetchy Reservoir in order to maintain a clean source of drinking water. While John Muir led the fight against building the dam, the opposition was supported by Gifford Pinchot. Located at 3,900 feet, it boasts one of the longest hiking seasons in the park. 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. Not only does it supply 85 percent of the water for 2.6 million people in San Francisco, controlled releases via the O'Shaughnessy Dam are helping preserve downstream specieseven in dry years. "Hetch Hetchy is a grand landscape garden, one of nature's rarest and most precious mountain temples. No BS! Hetch Hetchy ushered in a new era for the national parks. Yosemite's Hetch Hetchy Water Wars - Yosemite National Park Trips It pitted a powerful city against a dedicated group of conservationists. Formerly called Buck Meadows Restaurant and Bar, the new caf crosses rustic-mountain flair with roadside cafe friendliness. Dbq Hetchy Project - 663 Words | Internet Public Library View of the OShaughnessy Dam and the Hetchy Hetchy Road and parking. Should natural resources be used to serve the greatest good for the greatest number? 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. It is spectacular: a miles-long placid blue lake nested within towering granite cliffs, from which waterfalls cascade. OPTION 3Give control to the local people of Hetch Hetchy This 1910 view shows Kolana Rock and Tueeulala Falls in the background. 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. The main power facility in the system, the Moccasin Powerhouse, began commercial operation on August 14, 1925. . The Hetch Hetchy Valley underwent a monumental transformation when the City Of San Francisco received the approval of Congress in 1913 to build a dam in the Hetch Hetchy Valley, thus storing the water of the Tuolumne River and flooding the valley to a height of over 350 feet. Hetch Hetchy, a glacially carved valley situated in the northern end of the park, was flooded and dammed in the early 1900s in order to serve as the primary drinking water source for parts of San Francisco and the Bay Area. Would there be any room in an acquisitive society for wildness, or for non material spiritual values?. Now San Francisco wanted to dam one of the two principal watersheds in the park, the Hetch Hetchy valley through which ran the Tuolumne River, to create a reservoir for its water supply. 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. Finally, in 1988, a third generator was added to the Kirkwood Powerhouse. The fundamental issue involved two concepts. This is because the Tuolumne catchment basin above Hetch Hetchy is almost three times as large as the catchment area of the Merced River above Yosemite, allowing a greater volume of ice to form. Copyright © 2023 More Than Just Parks | This post may contain affiliate links - read our Standards, Corrections, & Privacy Policy. In 1913, Woodrow Wilson appointed Lane his Secretary of the Interior. It pitted Gifford Pinchot, Americas first forester, against John Muir, Americas legendary conservationist. It is 13 miles from the Yosemite National Park border and twice as close to the park than the town of Groveland. Hetch Hetchy - Yosemite National Park (U.S. National Park Service) (Source: American Rivers, How Dams Damage Rivers). Today, descendants of these people still use milkweed, deergrass, bracken fern, willow, and other plants for a variety of uses including baskets, medicines, and string. Once again, the political pendulum would swing. Hetch Hetchy Dome, at 6,197ft (1,889m), lies directly north of it. The bustling metropolis of Los Angeles could not have become the city it did without the water which flowed from the Owens Valley hundreds of miles away. [45], The controversy over Hetch Hetchy was in the context of other political scandals and controversies, especially prevalent in the Taft administration. But tearing OShaughnessy Dam down now in order to restore Hetch Hetchy Valley would be a disaster. 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. Even if we could obtain the several billion dollars necessary to carry out this endeavor (neither private nor public sources have yet been identified) some of the tasks involved may not even be possible. A national debate ensued between the preservationist and conservationist factions of the young environmental movement. Friday, enjoy an evening about bats starting at 7 pm. Spring snowmelt runs down the Tuolumne River and fills Hetch Hetchy, the largest reservoir in our water system. August 14 Hetch Hetchy Began Producing Power (1925) - Today in Five country-chic rooms in the main building include en suite bathrooms, free WiFi and electric fireplaces. If you love that insider feeling of discovering an often-overlooked gem, plan a stop at Buck Meadows on your way to or from Hetch Hetchy. [35] Muir, who himself had briefly worked as a shepherd in Hetch Hetchy, was known for calling sheep "hoofed locusts" because of their environmental impact. San Francisco could flood the valley and work began the following year. O'Shaughnessy Dam (California) - Wikipedia In spite of Muirs eloquent and heated objections, the Raker Act was signed into law in December of 1913. It's a big job to open the tunnel and close it again. In an effort to build this support, he published his bookThe Yosemitein 1912. Hodel Would Tear Down Dam in Hetch Hetchy - Los Angeles Times 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. But if you still have energy, continue past the bridge to Rancheria Falls. Hetch Hetchy Environmental Debates | National Archives Hetch Hetchy's restoration, after all, will benefit national . The Hetch Hetchy watershed, an area located in Yosemite National Park, is the major source of water for all of San Francisco's water needs. Activity 1: Analysis. 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. Would that be an improvement? Most of the dam would remain in place, both to avoid the enormous costs of demolition and removal, and to serve as a monument for the workers who built it. "[22], The valley's name may be derived from a Miwok word earlier anglicized as hatchhatchie, which means "edible grasses"[8][23] or "magpie". The new. 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.. [2] The dam contains 675,000cuyd (516,000m3) of concrete. Everyone who drinks water or takes a shower in San Francisco should go. After 2.5 miles (4.0 km), youll reach the Wapama Falls Bridge with an up-close view of the lowest section of Wapama Falls. Consider one project in progress that involves re-routing an entire river . Some of these studies determined that the idea of draining the reservoir was technically feasible but incredibly costly.