Yosemite Westgate Lodge offers newly-remodeled and well-appointed modern accommodation. 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. 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. 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. In the northwest corner of Yosemite National Park you can find the Hetch Hetchy Valley. O'Shaughnessey Dam Facts. Her poetic descriptions of Hetch hetchy won her the attention of powerful members of Congress. There are four fundamental ways in which dams damage rivers. Related. It forced elected representatives to consider what a national park designation truly meant and whether or not the land within these parks deserved protection. 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.. Including additions made between 1934 and 1938, the dam currently stands 430 feet (131 m) above the bedrock below. 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. 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. [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). Upcountry and the Bay Area. While youre at it, plan to add to the historic flavor of this route with a stop the Northern Mariposa County History Center. They also remove water needed for healthy in-stream ecosystems. 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.. For thousands of years before the arrival of settlers from the United States in the 1850s, the valley was inhabited by Native Americans who practiced subsistence hunting-gathering. This time, in favor of those who wanted to build the dam. Like Muir, he was totally transfixed by the Hetch Hetchy Valley. "[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. 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). 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. This fight set the stage for future battles between those who believed natural resources were to be used for the greatest good versus those who believed natural resources were to be preserved for the greatest enjoyment. 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. Day 6: Hetch Hetchy Reservoir to San Francisco. Start by hiking across the OShaughnessy Dam then turn east along the shore of the reservoir. Photo: Chris Migeon Rancheria Falls itself is a series of whitewater cascades that crashes through a narrow canyon on its way to the reservoir. [67], Preservation groups including the Sierra Club and Restore Hetch Hetchy state that draining Hetch Hetchy would open the valley back up to recreation, a right that should be provided to the American people because the reservoir is within the legal boundaries of a national park. Bierstadts paintings and Muirs writings began to publicize the beauty of the Hetch Hetchy Valley. As well dam for water-tanks the people's cathedrals and churches, for no holier temple has ever been consecrated by the heart of man. As well dam for water-tanks the peoples cathedrals and churches, for no holier temple has ever been consecrated by the heart of man.. Garfield had granted San Franciscos request, but Ballinger ordered the city to show cause as to why Hetch Hetchy should not be deleted from their grant. 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 . The regional water system provides water to 2.4 million people in San Francisco, Santa Clara, Alameda and San Mateo counties. The battle over the Hetch Hetchy, in part, was a fight over public versus private ownership of vital resources such as water. First, the beauty of the valley which they felt should not be sacrificed to build a dam. 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. remains the least visited area of the park. 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. . Native American cultures were prominent before the 1850s when the first settlers from the United States arrived in the Sierra Nevada. The most prominent preservationist spokesman was John Muir.. In contrast to the utilitarian view, the preservationist approach denied the assumption that the natural world existed solely to serve mans purposes. Albert Bierstadt was known for his sweeping landscapes of the American West. And, as you might imagine, it produces some of the cleanest municipal water in the United States. Even before it was finished, the massive . We would be trading flooded acres in one place for flooded acres in another. strongly against restoration. 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. An anthropocentrist would agree with building the dam in the park without taking into consideration what the dam would do to the already existing ecosystem due to not caring about the established animals and plants. Over the next decade, he produced fifteen large oils that transformed the valley into a dreamland unlike anything that ever met mortal eye.. [45], The controversy over Hetch Hetchy was in the context of other political scandals and controversies, especially prevalent in the Taft administration. 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. The entire valley is now flooded under an average 300ft (91m) of water behind the dam, although it occasionally reemerges in droughts, as it did in 1955, 1977, and 1991. "[85] However, she does support breaching the dam once it has reached the end of its lifespan, and not replacing it. It then cascades on its westward descent through the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne, and enters the eastern end of Hetch Hetchy Reservoir. The reservoir is fed by the Tuolumne River. ", "Three Square Miles of Open Space: Is It Enough? On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Sign up for the email list and join an active community of monthly readers. [59] The water quality is high because of the unique geology of the upper Tuolumne River drainage basin, which consists mostly of bare granite; as a result, the rivers feeding Hetch Hetchy Reservoir have extremely low loads of sediments and nutrients. 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. Hours: Year-round, but only accessible by car when the Hetch Hetchy Road is open. The dam and reservoir are the source for the Hetch Hetchy Aqueduct, which provides water for over . Due to large cataracts on the Tuolumne River upstream, Hetch Hetchy Valley may have been in the uppermost range for native rainbow trout in the river. In 1987, President Reagans Secretary of the Interior, Donald Hodel, proposed that Hetch Hetchy be restored. Another popular trail crosses the OShaughnessy Dam and then takes a left turn to climb steeply out of the Hetch Hetchy valley. Smith Peak (7,751 feet) is the highest point in the area and offers outstanding views. [8], Before damming, the valley floor contained abundant stands of black oaks, live oak, Ponderosa pine, Douglas fir, and silver fir bordering the meadows, with alder, willow, poplar and dogwood in the riparian zone along the Tuolumne River. Enjoy elegant touches like wrap-around porches, and fresh-baked cookies served daily. "[22], The valley's name may be derived from a Miwok word earlier anglicized as hatchhatchie, which means "edible grasses"[8][23] or "magpie". Hetch Hetchy is on the main stem of the Tuolumne River and is part of the Tuolumne watershed. 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. 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. [42] They claimed the valley was not unique and would be even more beautiful with a lake. 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? 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. At the time, neither side understood the long-range consequences of human actions to manage the environment. Monroe was a Chicago poet who joined Muir and others on their 1908 and 1909 outings to the valley. At full capacity, the reservoir stretches eight miles (13 km) upstream of the OShaughnessy Dam. Third, dams alter natural habitats and change the ways in which rivers function. No spam. It was the second tallest dam in the U.S. at the time. He produced at least four oil paintings of the valley one of which is prominently displayed in Mount Holyoke Colleges art museum. ", "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. Richard Ballinger was appointed his Interior Secretary. There are thousands of dams in the United States. SPUR wholeheartedly agrees that planning for water quality and reliability is important. DWRs meta-study found a range of costs from $3 billion to $10 billion for restoration and replacement of water and power sources. 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. Call 209-372-0200 for the latest road and weather conditions, Hetch Hetchy Road Daily Hours: 8 am to 5 pm. Buck Meadows is also a great place to spend the night. If you delight in getting off the well-beaten path, or if you are looking for a peaceful natural retreat, its perfection. 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? Located at 3,900 feet, it boasts one of the longest hiking seasons in the park. To visit the waterfalls or Yosemites northern backcountry, you walk across OShaughnessy Dam. California O Shaughnessy Dam Analysis 1428 Words | 6 Pages. Since the valley was within Yosemite National Park, an act of Congress was needed to authorize the project. The National Park Service conducted research to determine what would happen if the dam were removed, and people have repeatedly proposed costly studies to further understand the consequences of removing the dam. And in a larger sense, the waters of California served as the converting agents. At SPUR, we have done a lot of work on climate change adaptation. 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. The report cited other dam projects in making the argument that this project would increase tourism. Ultimately, San Francisco sold hydropower from the dam to the Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), which led to decades of legal wrangling and controversy over terms in the Raker Act. Looking up at Wapama Falls from the footbridge on the hiking trail. Bierstadt described the valley as "smaller than the more famous valley but it presents many of the same features in his scenery and is quite as beautiful. Have all students read the debate overview and page one of the HR 7207, the "Raker Bill". 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 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. Historians of the American conservation movement regard Pinchot as the foremost exemplar of the utilitarian approach to conservation, according to which man has a right to use natural resources, but also an obligation to use them wisely and efficientlyor as the classic criterion put it, the greatest good for the greatest number over the long run. As applied to forests and espoused by Pinchot, this meant that the nations forest reserves ought not to be maintained as inviolate sanctuaries, but opened to enlightened management.. 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. Stand on OShaughnessy Dam and feel the cool updraft. [61] In 2018, the Department of the Interior of the Trump administration began to consider a proposal to allow limited boating on the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir for the first time, supported by the advocacy group Restore Hetch Hetchy which argued that "San Francisco received [Hetch Hetchy's] benefits long ago, but the American people have not. To get the electricity they would need, they first built a smaller dam at Lake Eleanor. But how did the dam get to be here? "Hetch Hetchy is a grand landscape garden, one of nature's rarest and most precious mountain temples. 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. 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. Due to extreme winter weather, Yosemite National Park is closed with no estimated date of reopening. Show More. "[61][62], The battle over Hetch Hetchy Valley continues today[when?] Loss of the reservoir would decrease the Bay Areas water and energy security, requiring new water storage (possibly in reservoirs not owned by San Francisco) and the development of new water and energy supplies. The reservoir supplies water for the city of San Francisco, so there is no recreational boating or swimming allowed. For most of the year the waterfall offers a refreshing shower or cooling mist along with an amazing view. [6][7], Upstream from the valley lies the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne, while the smaller Poopenaut Valley is directly downstream from O'Shaughnessy Dam. . It is the primary water source for about 2.5 million residents of the San Francisco Bay Area. For functional purposes, Hetch Hetchy was a promising solution to San Francisco's serious water shortages. 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.. . It has not been demonstrated that Hetch Hetchy is the only available source, but only that it might be the cheapest. Those who did visit it were enchanted by its scenery, but encountered difficulties with the primitive conditions and, in summertime, swarms of mosquitoes. Hidden in Yosemite National Parks peaceful northwest corner, Hetch Hetchy Valley is a treasure worth visiting in all seasons. RELATED: A Woman Started The Environmental Movement (Can It Continue?). 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. [57] Pipelines 3 and 4 end at the Pulgas Water Temple, a small park that contains classical architectural elements which celebrate the water delivery. There is plenty to see and do right here, from kayaking on the water to climbing the magnificent domes above. 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. Divide the class into four small groups. The Poopenaut Trail begins at a signed trailhead four miles past the entrance station. It also was an early battle of conservatives vs progressives. The trail to Wapama Falls is one of the most popular trails in the Hetch Hetchy area for a good reason. [82] Dianne Feinstein opposed this allocation, saying, "I will do all I can to make sure it isn't included in the final bill. Utilizing its superior resources, the city produced a detailed report which made a compelling case that, far from damaging the beauty of Yosemite, the dam would actually enhance it. To do so, it would either have to buy out the private monopoly at an exorbitant price or outmaneuver or outbid Spring Valley for a potential new reservoir., (Source: Natural Rivals: John Muir, Gifford Pinchot, and the Creation of Americas Public Lands, John Clayton). There have been lawsuits over whether San Francisco violated the agreements of the Raker Act. The O'Shaughnessy Dam is near Yosemite's western boundary, but the long, narrow, fingerlike reservoir stretches eastward for about 8 miles (13km). 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. Hetch Hetchy ushered in a new era for the national parks. Hetch Hetchy Valley, far from being a plain, common, rock-bound meadow, as many who have not seen it seem to suppose, is a grand landscape garden, one of Nature's rarest and most precious mountain temples. Hetch Hetchy and Yosemite Valley are so similar because they were created by the same sequences of geological activity. They were both initially carved by rivers flowing down the Sierras relatively gentle western slope. [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. As well dam for water-tanks the people's cathedrals and churches, for no holier temple has ever been . In the future, we will certainly need diverse supplies to rely on in a prolonged drought, but we will also need Hetch Hetchy more than ever. What one Secretary of the Interior giveth, another taketh away. The Tuolumne River continues through Tuolumne Meadows and the associated park developments at an elevation of 8,600 feet. In: Educational Resources, History, National Parks, Your email address will not be published. This can be very disorienting to fish and disrupt their migrations as they depend on steady streams and flows to guide them. Learn what to expect from Mirror Lake in various seasons. National opinion divided between giving San Francisco the right to dam the valley and preserving the valley from development. No picture of the giant sequoia trees in Yosemite National Park manages to fully capture their immense size and majesty. [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. ", "San Francisco-Hetch Hetchy Valley Connection", "Hetch Hetchy controversy: Could Yosemite's 'second valley' be restored? Pinchot was Americas Forester. He served as the first head of the United States Forest Service. The water shunted through them about 218 million gallons a day arrives in most city taps by gravity alone. This trail is 13 miles round-trip with 3,700 feet elevation gain. John Muir, the first president of the Sierra Club, condemned plans to build the dam, saying, "Dam Hetch Hetchy! The controversy over damming Hetch Hetchy became mired in the political issues of the day. Hoffman observed a meadow "well timbered and affording good grazing", and noted the valley had a milder climate than Yosemite Valley, hence the abundance of ponderosa pine and gray pine. 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. Albright, along with Stephen Mather, became instrumental players in the creation of a national park system three years after Congress decided the issue of Hetch Hetchy. Slow down and spend the day at Tenaya Lake a beautiful and easy-to-get-to alpine lake cupped by granite domes. OShaughnessy Dam and the waterworks that connect it to the Bay Area are a marvel of engineering. 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. In Yosemite National Park, the Hetch Hetchy reservoir relies on the annual snowmelt to stay full. After Hetch Hetchy, many realized the National Parks needed more protection. California Rep. John E. Raker submitted a bill to Congress granting the city of San Francisco the right to dam the Hetchy Hetchy Valley as a reservoir and also provide the city the right of municipalized electricity as well. 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. [14] At maximum extent, Tioga Glacier may have been 60mi (97km) long and up to 4,000ft (1,200m) thick, filling Hetch Hetchy Valley to the brim and spilling over the sides, carving out the present rugged plateau country to the north and southwest. 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. Controversy continues to swirl around the Hetch Hetchy Dam even now. 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. Building a dam there was off the table. A) human well-being B) renewable energy C) environmental sustainability D) cultural services E) human population growth, The current total world population has just passed ________. The spacious rooms include access to a heated swimming pool, spa, playground, and laundry facilities. [77][78], The economic wisdom of removing the dam has been frequently questioned. That reservoir is New Don Pedro, and it rests over existing pipelines to the Bay Area. SPUR Urban Center, 654 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA 94105-4015 | (415) 781-8726 | [emailprotected], 2023 SPUR Privacy Policy 501(C)(3) Non-Profit Tax Identification: 94-1498232, a member-supported nonprofit organization. In 2006, the California State Department of Water Resources (DWR) and Department of Parks and Recreation evaluated the cost estimates of multiple feasibility studies conducted between 1988 and 2005. The battle for the Hetch Hetchy Valleys future was not simply preservation versus conservation. Since then, the "Hetch Hetchy System" has continued to grow, now including nine impoundments . 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. The Tuolumne River, the source of. They poured an estimated total of more than 398,000 cubic yards (304,000 cubic meters) of concrete to form the dam. 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. 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. Hetch Hetchy, located at 3,900 feet in Yosemite National Park, is one of the park's most popular hiking . 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. 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. Copyright © 2023 More Than Just Parks | This post may contain affiliate links - read our Standards, Corrections, & Privacy Policy. The Hetch Hetchy Dam is destroying a piece of land that is the homes of multiple types of animals. View of the OShaughnessy Dam and the Hetchy Hetchy Road and parking. The OShaughnessy Dam was completed in 1938 and is 430-feet tall. 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. Rounding the corner and catching the first glimpses of Hetch Hetchy Valley reveals the play of light on water. [42] This provoked a seven-year environmental struggle with the environmental group Sierra Club, led by John Muir. [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. Required fields are marked *. 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. Animals were principally driven along Joseph Screech's trail from Big Oak Flat to Hetch Hetchy. Located 30 miles southeast of Las Vegas, the dam captures water from the .

What Does Nordstrom Do With Returned Items, Quewhiffle Plantation, Articles B