First, they block rivers which prevents fish from migrating. remains the least visited area of the park. [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 Hetch Hetchy Valley is about 8 miles (13 km) from Yosemite Valley. 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. At the time, neither side understood the long-range consequences of human actions to manage the environment. while birds, bees, and butterflies help the river and waterfalls to stir all the air into music. Many examples of red-barked manzanita can be seen along the Hetch Hetchy Road. The other route begins at the entrance station and is 16 miles round-trip with 3,300 feet of elevation gain. 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. This ballot measure is so problematic that SPUR has taken early action to oppose it. 2023 Yosemite Mariposa County Tourism Bureau, Yosemite Itineraries: What to Do in Yosemite. 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 glacial Hetch Hetchy Valley lies in the northwestern part of Yosemite National Park and is drained by the Tuolumne River. It is definitely worth to visit Hetch Hetchy area especially in 2021 when main Yosemite area requires booking permits in advance. 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). 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. 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. . Hetch Hetchy and Ackerson Meadow: Wildflowers and Bats Hetch Hetchy is unique because of its small holding capacity in comparison to the vast watershed feeding it. In 1913, Woodrow Wilson appointed Lane his Secretary of the Interior. The Dam flooded about nine miles of the river, including the Hetch Hetchy valley. Giving a Dam: Congress Debates Hetch Hetchy - George Mason University 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. There are four fundamental ways in which dams damage rivers. It pitted a powerful city against a dedicated group of conservationists. To visit the waterfalls or Yosemites northern backcountry, you walk across OShaughnessy Dam. [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. [45], The controversy over Hetch Hetchy was in the context of other political scandals and controversies, especially prevalent in the Taft administration. Its a a wonderful place to see spring waterfalls and wildflower displays. Located 30 miles southeast of Las Vegas, the dam captures water from the . Note: you may use the handout or navigate to our feature on the Hetch Hetchy Environmental Debates to access the overview and copy of the Raker Bill. An advantage which Phelan, Pinchot and other supporters of the dam project enjoyed was a divided opposition. A bigger population will increase demand, meanwhile climate change could significantly reduce supply through drought and hydrological cycle changes. . Hetch Hetchy is the incredible story of Americas most controversial dam and the birth of the environmental movement. 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. Since then, the "Hetch Hetchy System" has continued to grow, now including nine impoundments . [16], Compared with Yosemite Valley, the walls of Hetch Hetchy are smoother and rounder because it was glaciated to a greater extent. Hetch Hetchy: Congress and the Environment | National Archives San Francisco Can Ban New Natural Gas Because It Destroyed The Hetch Seventeen species of bats inhabit the Hetch Hetchy area, including the largest North American bat, the western mastiff. 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 doesnt need to be filtered, a process that is expensive and energy intensive. The reservoir provides water to a large portion of the Bay Area through a 160 mile delivery. Hetch Hetchy Water & Power plans five-year $140M Mountain Tunnel . [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". The surface of the water hides an additional 300 feet of granite cliffs and once-upon-a-time waterfalls within its depths. 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. [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. Restore Hetch Hetchy Valley, Vote Yes! on Proposition F Tom Philp of The Sacramento Bee - The Pulitzer Prizes 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. 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. This is why environmental impact statements, which were not required prior to 1969, are so important today. Although Hetch Hetchy is included within the boundaries of Yosemite National Park, the entrance is separate from the rest of the park. [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. [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. 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. Building a dam there was off the table. Through the manipulation of water, the company also had the power to determine which real estate became valuable and which languished. 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. He was a firm believer in utilitarian conservation. Plus, the granite walls converge into a narrow outlet at the bottom of the valley the perfect location for a dam. Slow-moving reservoirs heat up, resulting in abnormal temperature fluctuations which can affect sensitive species. The proposed ballot measure calls for the creation of a task force that would spend $8 million to develop a long-term plan for improving water quality and reliability, remediating environmental damages caused by the water supply system, and identifying new water and renewable energy supplies so that Hetch Hetchy Valley could be returned to the National Park Service. As we learned from Rachel Carsons Silent Spring, humankind can damage the environment while attempting to control it. [17] The valley's abundant plants provided nourishment for mule deer, black bears and bighorn sheep. [46], Work on the Hetch Hetchy Project began in 1914. He had journeyed to Washington to lobby the federal government on behalf of the project. Above all, one's behavior Argument Against The Hetchy Dam 587 Words | 3 Pages [40] By the 1880s, San Francisco was looking to Hetch Hetchy water as a fix for its outdated and unreliable water system. Forests might provide for the material well-being of human beings, but they did not exist for this reason alone. 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? The grassroots organization of environmental activism, established by John Muir and his supporters, became a model for future environmentalists. 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. The controversy over damming Hetch Hetchy became mired in the political issues of the day. [24] It is likely that the edible grass was blue dicks. The reservoir is eight miles long and the largest single body of water in Yosemite. 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. 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. In the 19th century, the first white visitors to the valley did not realize that Hetch Hetchy's extensive meadows were the product of millennia of management by Native Americans; instead they believed "the valley was purely a product of ancient geological forces (or divine intervention) this was fundamental to its allure as a destination and subject. They would light upon a man's blue shirt and turn it brown, and were voracious as mosquitoes would be. Photo: Chris Migeon Five country-chic rooms in the main building include en suite bathrooms, free WiFi and electric fireplaces. There, he met the same Indian chief and his wives. Exactly how San Francisco won the right to transform the bucolic valley into a 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. [50] The project is operated by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission. If their signature-gathering campaign is successful, a small group of environmental advocates, led by Restore Hetch Hetchy, will give you the opportunity this November to vote on a measure that would require the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) to develop a plan to drain Hetch Hetchy Reservoir. Divide the class into four small groups. But what about when the lake dries? A) 5 billion B . The openings in the Taft administration led to the eventual success of the Raker Act. For most of the year the waterfall offers a refreshing shower or cooling mist along with an amazing view. Hetch Hetchy Valley, Yosemite National Park, California The Greatest The larger issues at stake would frame environmental debates for years to come. Only a tiny proportion of Yosemites visitors explore this out-of-the-way corner of the national park. [53], As completed, O'Shaughnessy Dam is 910 feet (280m) long, spanning the valley at its narrow outlet. Muir concludes his treatise on Hetch Hetchy with the now familiar words, "Dam Hetch Hetchy! Yosemite Westgate Lodge offers newly-remodeled and well-appointed modern accommodation. This reservoir on the Sacramento River has been planned for decades 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. Storage and Delivery Updates | SFPUC [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. "[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. Restore Hetch Hetchy and the Environmental Defense Funds own studies support a lower cost estimate, ranging from $1 billion to $2 billion. Indeed, the battle over Hetch Hetchy may have been a little-known contributor to the permanent alignment of American politics it was the tension between Ballinger and Pinchot that set in motion the events that lead to the split mentioned above. The Hetch Hetchy dam is upstream on the Tuolumne River from a reservoir nearly six times as large. [2] 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. "[19], People have lived in Hetch Hetchy Valley for over 6,000 years. 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. On returning home, he asked an Indian chief the name of the valley. Hetch Hetchy is on the main stem of the Tuolumne River and is part of the Tuolumne watershed. Guests at these suites receive breakfast on their patios. SPUR wholeheartedly agrees that planning for water quality and reliability is important. Hetch Valley Measure Pits Bay Area Against Environmentalists - The New ", "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. Wapama Fall is reached via a five-mile, round-trip hike that follows the shoreline of the reservoir with moderate up and downhill hiking. The O'Shaughnessy Dam is near Yosemite's western boundary, but the long, narrow, fingerlike reservoir stretches eastward for about 8 miles (13 km). And it is the largest single source of water supply for the Bay Area. [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). . But during peak spring flow, the thundering waterfall can wash over the bridge making it dangerous to cross. At SPUR, we have done a lot of work on climate change adaptation. Eighty-five percent of the water comes from Sierra Nevada snowmelt stored in the Hetch Hetchy reservoir situated on the Tuolumne River in Yosemite National Park. 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. Hodel Would Tear Down Dam in Hetch Hetchy - Los Angeles Times In this unmanaged scenario, where nature is left to take hold in the valley, eventually a forest would grow, rather than the meadow being restored. [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. The Hetch Hetchy Dam in the Yosemite Valley, receives the bulk of it's water from the sierra snow pack miles above the reservoir. Expect delicious meals and hearty portions to fuel your adventure or beat that post-hiking hunger. No picture of the giant sequoia trees in Yosemite National Park manages to fully capture their immense size and majesty. The glacially-carved U-shaped valley floor maximizes the amount of water stored in the reservoir. The Fight for Hetch Hetchy | Environment & Society Portal Public disapproval nationwide with the Raker Act helped to bring about the creation of the National Park Service. The city must pay a lease of $30,000 per year for the use of Hetch Hetchy, which sits on federal land. The Hetch Hetchy Dam is destroying a piece of land that is the homes of multiple types of animals. 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. [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.
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