Off Deadline: Is 'Restore Hetch Hetchy' a pipe dream or a living vision [24] Screech reported that the valley was bitterly disputed between the "Pah Utah Indians" (Paiute) and "Big Creek Indians" (Miwok), and witnessed several fights in which the Paiute appeared to be the dominant tribe. Park entry (as needed). This is a place considered by John Muir to be equal in beauty to Yose. Plus, the granite walls converge into a narrow outlet at the bottom of the valley the perfect location for a dam. "[32], In 1867, Charles F. Hoffman of the California Geological Survey conducted the first survey of the valley. Assign each group to analyze one or more . The inadequacy of the citys existing water supply came into sharp focus. The Dam Rent Is Too Low - PERC In some cases, however, including the Klamath and Hetch Hetchy, the benefits of restoration clearly outweigh the benefits provided by the dams. To begin the trail, cross the dam and pass through the tunnel. Those who presumed to speak for wealth, much of which flowed to San Francisco, believed they were transforming a pioneer land into a settled, civilized one. We have historic photographs to remind us of what Hetch Hetchy Valley looked like before the dam was built. 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. Looking up at Wapama Falls from the footbridge on the hiking trail. In contrast to the utilitarian view, the preservationist approach denied the assumption that the natural world existed solely to serve mans purposes. 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. Let the dam at Hetch Hetchy stand - sfchronicle.com Why we must restore Hetch Hetchy - SFGATE In the distance, long white plumes of water cascade hundreds of feet down from rocky heights. And in a larger sense, the waters of California served as the converting agents. California needed secure, reliable access to drinking water for their burgeoning populations. As well dam for water tanks the peoples cathedrals and churches, for no holier temple has ever been consecrated by the heart of man.'. The second concept is preservation. Many examples of red-barked manzanita can be seen along the Hetch Hetchy Road. [72] The water storage provided at Hetch Hetchy could be transferred into Lake Don Pedro lower on the Tuolumne River by raising the New Don Pedro Dam 30ft (9.1m). The falls roar in spring and early summer. Muir and other defenders of Hetch Hetchy believe the fight revolved around two central issues. The main power facility in the system, the Moccasin Powerhouse, began commercial operation on August 14, 1925. The waterfall on the Tuolumne is now submerged under Hetch Hetchy Reservoir. In Yosemite National Park, the Hetch Hetchy reservoir relies on the annual snowmelt to stay full. As a consequence, visitors came to experience it for themselves. In 1913, Woodrow Wilson appointed Lane his Secretary of the Interior. Hetch Hetchy and many others were built by . According to a local legend, Nate spotted a valley to the east that was too far to visit. The Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, which lies within the Yosemite National Park, supplies 85% of the water needs of San Francisco and surrounding counties. The Hetch Hetchy Reservoir itself store 85% of the City's overall drinking water supply, the remaining 15% is stored in the system's 5 other reservoirs. And today there is even an organization, Restore Hetch Hetchy, which is committed to doing just that. 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). Franklin Lane served as the attorney for the city of San Francisco in 1903. 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 . The Sites Reservoir a $4.4 billion project to add dams and store more water that'll be sent south is still years away from completion. The proposed study would also have been required to identify potential replacements for the water storage capacity and hydroelectric power production.[87][88]. Restore Hetch Hetchy and the Environmental Defense Funds own studies support a lower cost estimate, ranging from $1 billion to $2 billion. Hetch Hetchy Water and Power also wants to remove the giant bulkhead that seals up the tunnel with 40 nuts and bolts, Ritchie said. Since then, the "Hetch Hetchy System" has continued to grow, now including nine impoundments . Glaciers followed these low-points, leaving their own marks in particular carving out the characteristic U-shaped valley with steep sides and wide floor. The imputed motive was to divide the environmental movement: to see residents of the strongly Democratic city of San Francisco coming out against an environmental issue. William Howard Taft became president in 1909. We would be trading flooded acres in one place for flooded acres in another. 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). While John Muir led the fight against building the dam, the opposition was supported by Gifford Pinchot. Have all students read the debate overview and page one of the HR 7207, the "Raker Bill". The dam and reservoir, combined with a series of aqueducts, tunnels, and hydroelectric plants as well as eight other storage dams, comprise a system known as the Hetch Hetchy Project, which provides 80% of the water supply for 2.6 million people. [48], The Early Intake (Lower Cherry) Powerhouse began commercial operation five years before the O'Shaughnessy Dam was completed. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This is interesting from an ideological perspective. Should nature be left alone so that flora and fauna flourish while people enjoy its primal wonders? The landscape painter Bierstadt, who brought his German Romantic training to the valley in 1862, gave the world an even larger portrait, and one in extravagant color, that photographers could not match on any scale. OShaughnessy Dam and the waterworks that connect it to the Bay Area are a marvel of engineering. This valley was isolated and remote, twenty miles northwest of the original. [45], The controversy over Hetch Hetchy was in the context of other political scandals and controversies, especially prevalent in the Taft administration. Sign up for helpful guides, beautiful videos, and insider tips on the national parks. Gray pine, incense-cedar, and California black oak grow in abundance. 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 Dam flooded about nine miles of the river, including the Hetch Hetchy valley. The SFPUC tests its quality more than 100,000 times a year to ensure that it exceeds all safe drinking water standards. By Posted student houses falmouth 2021 In jw marriott panama concierge lounge Being one of the biggest hydroelectric facilities in the United States and a National Landmark, Hoover Dam generates power to serve more than 1.3 million people. Two additional reservoirs in the Hetch Hetchy RegionLake Eleanor and Lake Lloyd (also We're not going to remove this dam, and the funding is unnecessary. The privately owned Spring Valley Water Company had required its customers to pay exorbitant rates for years. Five country-chic rooms in the main building include en suite bathrooms, free WiFi and electric fireplaces. Muir concludes his treatise on Hetch Hetchy with the now familiar words, "Dam Hetch Hetchy! Hetch Hetchy is on the main stem of the Tuolumne River and is part of the Tuolumne watershed. Indeed, Hetch Hetchy today[when?] [citation needed], The Hetch Hetchy Valley began as a V-shaped river canyon cut out by the ancestral Tuolumne River. The battle for Hetch Hetchy wasnt just conservationists vs preservationists. Shasta, Oroville, Hetch Hetchy and many others were built by damming large rivers. As the Hetch Hetchy Valley was part of Yosemite National Park, Hitchcock preferred to protect the park's natural wonders. 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. The Tuolumne River originates in the peaks above Tuolumne Meadows and is the major drainage system for the northern part of Yosemite. [84] Karin Klein has described Yosemite Valley as "so crammed that it looks more like a ripstop ghetto than the site of a nature experience. Hetch Hetchy - Wikipedia The report cited other dam projects in making the argument that this project would increase tourism. Learn what to expect from Mirror Lake in various seasons. The fundamental issue involved two concepts. Mirror Lakes famous spring-time reflections capture the eye and mind. 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. [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. This time, in favor of those who wanted to build the dam. Expect delicious meals and hearty portions to fuel your adventure or beat that post-hiking hunger. You may take easy hike to Wapama falls ( around 6 miles) or even more challenging hike to Rancheria falls ( around 14 miles). [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. It is the primary water source for about 2.5 million residents of the San Francisco Bay Area. This 1910 view shows Kolana Rock and Tueeulala Falls in the background. This reservoir on the Sacramento River has been planned for decades Hetch Hetchy, located at 3,900 feet in Yosemite National Park, is one of the park's most popular hiking . Healthy fish populations - by releasing sufficient instream flows for spawning and rearing downstream - sometimes to mitigate for the loss of spawning habitat caused by their construction, and If you delight in getting off the well-beaten path, or if you are looking for a peaceful natural retreat, its perfection. San Francisco had its eyes on this water source early on and repeatedly tried to acquire water rights to the Tuolumne River. . Due to extreme winter weather, Yosemite National Park is closed with no estimated date of reopening. The glacially-carved U-shaped valley floor maximizes the amount of water stored in the reservoir. Hetch Hetchy is dammed by the 430-foot-tall OShaughnessy Dam and has a storage capacity of 360,360 acre-feet. The upcountry portion of the System begins with Hetch Hetchy Reservoir in Yosemite National Park. 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.. Your email address will not be published. Following a fierce nationwide debate led by John Muir and Will Colby of the Sierra Club, the City of San Francisco was authorized by the U.S. Congress, in the Raker Act of 1913, to construct a dam and reservoir on the Tuolumne River in Hetch Hetchy Valley in Yosemite National Park. "[83], Opponents of dam removal have pointed out that the flooding of the Hetch Hetchy Valley has also deterred the crowds that overrun other areas of Yosemite National Park. Call 209-372-0200 for the latest road and weather conditions, Hetch Hetchy Road Daily Hours: 8 am to 5 pm. If youre up for a driving adventure, try taking a little extra time to retrace parts of the route John Muir described in his book, My First Summer in the Sierra. Gravel, logs, and other important food and habitat features can become trapped. Visitors might still need chains to get down Evergreen Road this time of year, but a trip to Hetch Hetchy reveals an example of the potent storms, and a reservoir of controversy for 100 years. She says the water first leaves Hetch Hetchy through the O'Shaughnessy Dam. Garfield was responding to critics who believed that the federal governments primary responsibility was to use the nations public resources for development in the service for the greatest number of people. The Valley Below | The Verge [46], Work on the Hetch Hetchy Project began in 1914. Hetch Hetchy doesn't require permit, you need just regular National park pass. 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. San Francisco applied once again for rights to Hetch Hetchy in 1908. Hetch Valley Measure Pits Bay Area Against Environmentalists - The New Finally, in 1988, a third generator was added to the Kirkwood Powerhouse. Buck Meadows is also a great place to spend the night. Consequences - Hetch Hetchy: The Valley of Broken Promises Hoover Dam. What one Secretary of the Interior giveth, another taketh away. It forced elected representatives to consider what a national park designation truly meant and whether or not the land within these parks deserved protection. Hetch Hetchy, for the time being, was safe, and it would not be inundated during Roosevelts watch.. 2023 Yosemite Mariposa County Tourism Bureau, Yosemite Itineraries: What to Do in Yosemite. strongly against restoration. Congress, confronted with rising public opposition, refused to act on the measure. Forests might provide for the material well-being of human beings, but they did not exist for this reason alone. 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. 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. . 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. [54] The entire system produces about 1.7 billion kilowatt hours per year, enough to meet 20% of San Francisco's electricity needs. 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. Day 6: Hetch Hetchy Reservoir to San Francisco. Three strikes for San Francisco | Restore Hetch Hetchy [54] An additional hydroelectric system comprising Cherry Lake, Lake Eleanor and the Holm Powerhouse is also part of the Hetch Hetchy Project, adding another 169 megawatts of generating capacity. Spring and early summer bring wildflowers including lupine, wallflower, monkey flower, and buttercup. The history of Californias growth is inextricably linked to the search for water. Hetch Hetchy's restoration, after all, will benefit national . The Hetch Hetchy Dam in the Yosemite Valley, receives the bulk of it's water from the sierra snow pack miles above the reservoir. Hetch Hetchy Valley, Yosemite National Park, California The Greatest Once the glaciers retreated, tributaries leading into the main river were left hanging hundreds or thousands of feet above the valley floor, creating the beautiful waterfalls we know today. 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 . Sign up for the email list and join an active community of monthly readers. Photo: Kim Lawson. But Sites would be what's called an off-channel reservoir, built away from the river. Hidden in Yosemite National Parks peaceful northwest corner, Hetch Hetchy Valley is a treasure worth visiting in all seasons. It carried workers and materials for the dam, as well as tourists, postage and other amenities. 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. . You could then scuba ElCapitan down to the valley floor. "[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. 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. Copyright © 2023 More Than Just Parks | This post may contain affiliate links - read our Standards, Corrections, & Privacy Policy. In continuance, water has a personality and the presence of it can change moods and help people feel better. Residents drink it in 26 cities and water districts from San. This option favors building a dam in the Hetch Hetchy Valley to provide hundreds of thou- sands of San Francisco residents with water and electricitybasic necessities for health and well-being, as well as urban development and economic growth. It then cascades on its westward descent through the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne, and enters the eastern end of Hetch Hetchy Reservoir. OPTION 3Give control to the local people of Hetch Hetchy [16], Compared with Yosemite Valley, the walls of Hetch Hetchy are smoother and rounder because it was glaciated to a greater extent. Back in the early nineteen hundreds, when the debate start about The Hetch Hetchy dam being built a large majority of people did not realize or care how valuable nature is. That reservoir is New Don Pedro, and it rests over existing pipelines to the Bay Area. ", "Three Square Miles of Open Space: Is It Enough? Get SPUR news and events delivered straight to your email inbox. The glacial Hetch Hetchy Valley lies in the northwestern part of Yosemite National Park and is drained by the Tuolumne River. Slow-moving reservoirs heat up, resulting in abnormal temperature fluctuations which can affect sensitive species. Hetch Hetchy water serves residents in four Bay Area counties, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara and Southern Alameda. By 1908, a different Interior Secretary, James R. Garfield, sided with the utilitarian conservationists and issued a permit for the Hetch Hetchy project. 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. Instead, it was a more complicated battle which pitted public interests against private interests. The first people, outside of Native Americans, to see the Hetch Hetchy Valley were Joseph, Nate and William Screechin 1850. Amid a worsening drought, water supplies at one important reservoir are Progressive political leaders, of whom Mayor Phelan was one, believed it was time to take this power away from the private interests and turn it over to the people. Hetch Hetchy System - BAWSCA As of 2013, the water storage and hydroelectric power supplied by the Hetch Hetchy Project serviced an estimated 2.6 million people in the San Francisco Bay Area. Congress has set aside the Yosemite Valley as a state park in 1864, established a national park around it in 1890, and then reclaimed the valley as part of the national park in 1903. Pipelines 1 and 2 cross the San Francisco Bay to the south of the Dumbarton Bridge, while pipelines 3 and 4 run to the south of the bay. [5] Local legend attributes the modern name Hetch Hetchy to Screech's initial arrival in the valley, during which he observed the Native Americans "cooking a variety of grass covered with edible seeds", which they called "hatch hatchy" or "hatchhatchie". Some hydro-power dams withhold and then release water to generate power for peak demand periods, which is particularly disruptive to migrating fish. [20] They hunted, and gathered seeds and edible plants to furnish themselves winter food, trade items, and materials for art and ceremonial objects. 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. Watershed Worker (Summer, 2023) - Hetch Hetchy Water & Power (Moccasin [50] The removal of the dam would be extremely costly, at least $310 billion,[76] and the transport of the demolished material away from the dam site along the narrow, winding Hetch Hetchy Road would be a logistical nightmare with possible environmental impacts. 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. The Hetch Hetchy dam is upstream on the Tuolumne River from a reservoir nearly six times as large. In 1923, the O'Shaughnessy Dam was completed on the Tuolumne River, flooding the entire valley under the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir. You can expect one (short) email per month. The Hetch Hetchy Valley is about 8 miles (13 km) from Yosemite Valley. Tom Philp of The Sacramento Bee - The Pulitzer Prizes Us too! Yes, the plan to drain Hetch Hetchy involves causing new ecological damage. An advantage which Phelan, Pinchot and other supporters of the dam project enjoyed was a divided opposition. The construction of the Hetch Hetchy Railroad took place from 1915 to 1918. Controversy continues to swirl around the Hetch Hetchy Dam even now. Photo: Chris Migeon can you smoke on royal caribbean cruise ships benefits of hetch hetchy dam. Pinchot argued that applying the principle of the greatest good for the greatest number, meant the benefits accrued to the people of San Francisco from having the dam far outweighed leaving the valley in its current state. In the sum of American economic expansion the intrusion might have seemed a minor, obscure matter, but to [John] Muir immense issues were involved: why had the nation preserved that pure wildness in the first place? SF's Hetch Hetchy water system is almost full. Is that a good thing? Hiking in Yosemite National Park | AAA Ohio It is the source of water for the city of San Francisco. On returning home, he asked an Indian chief the name of the valley. Located 30 miles southeast of Las Vegas, the dam captures water from the . There are many places to stop and enjoy views of the rushing water before turning around to return to your car. It spans 900 feet (270 m) with a 17-foot (5.2 m) wide trail across the top that hikers use to cross to the opposite side. Hetch Hetchy Reservoir - O'Shaugnessy Dam - National Park Service The battle over the Hetch Hetchy, in part, was a fight over public versus private ownership of vital resources such as water. Secretary of the Interior, Ethan Allen Hitchcock, refused to give San Francisco a permit to build the dam. 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). O'Shaughnessey Dam Facts. 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. As well dam for water-tanks the peoples cathedrals and churches, for no holier temple has ever been consecrated by the heart of man . No BS! Then, in 1906, a devastating earthquake caused a series of fires in San Francisco that destroyed 25,000 buildings across 490 city blocks. "Hetch Hetchy is a grand landscape garden, one of nature's rarest and most precious mountain temples. [82] Dianne Feinstein opposed this allocation, saying, "I will do all I can to make sure it isn't included in the final bill. It was the second tallest dam in the U.S. at the time. There is no Starbucks here no daily parade of tour buses and RVs. 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. [51][52] The aqueduct delivers an average of 265,000acreft (327,000,000m3) of water each year, or 31,900,000cuft (900,000m3) per day, to residents of San Francisco and San Mateo, Santa Clara and Alameda Counties. The reservoir supplies water for the city of San Francisco, so there is no recreational boating or swimming allowed. Dams, including this one, dont last forever, and perhaps in a few generations the conversation about a different future for the Hetch Hetchy Valley may be worthwhile.

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