benefits of hetch hetchy dam

The Hetch Hetchy dam is upstream on the Tuolumne River from a reservoir nearly six times as large. Off Deadline: Is 'Restore Hetch Hetchy' a pipe dream or a living vision Bierstadts paintings and Muirs writings began to publicize the beauty of the Hetch Hetchy Valley. 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. The dam is a small portion of the overall Tuolumne River/San Francisco storage system that benefits the Bay Area. Expect delicious meals and hearty portions to fuel your adventure or beat that post-hiking hunger. Since the valley was within Yosemite National Park, an act of Congress was needed to authorize the project. By 1908, a different Interior Secretary, James R. Garfield, sided with the utilitarian conservationists and issued a permit for the Hetch Hetchy project. 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. 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. It is definitely worth to visit Hetch Hetchy area especially in 2021 when main Yosemite area requires booking permits in advance. 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. For all the similarities between Hetch Hetchy Valley and Yosemite Valley, there is one enormous difference the Hetch Hetchy reservoir. If, on the other hand, San Francisco gained control, it would signal in important victory for public power resulting in lower rates for the people. San Francisco applied once again for rights to Hetch Hetchy in 1908. Located at 3,900 feet, Hetch Hetchy boasts one of the longest hiking seasons in the park and is an ideal place for thundering spring waterfalls and wildflower displays. "[85] However, she does support breaching the dam once it has reached the end of its lifespan, and not replacing it. Water System | SFPUC Hetch Hetchy doesn't require permit, you need just regular National park pass. The first people, outside of Native Americans, to see the Hetch Hetchy Valley were Joseph, Nate and William Screechin 1850. remains the least visited area of the park. Richard Ballinger was appointed his Interior Secretary. [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. [50] The project is operated by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission. The Hetch Hetchy system's supporters say it has one of the smallest carbon footprints of any water system in the United States because its water is of such high quality that it requires no. This limits their ability to access spawning habitat, seek out food resources, and escape predation. If the nation set aside some natural places as especially sacred, how far beyond their borders should a sense of the sacred extend? The Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, which lies within the Yosemite National Park, supplies 85% of the water needs of San Francisco and surrounding counties. Friday, enjoy an evening about bats starting at 7 pm. Denouncing dam proponents as greedy, he wrote, These temple destroyers, devotees of ravaging commercialism, seem to have a perfect contempt for Nature, and instead of lifting their eyes to the God of the Mountains, life them to the Almighty Dollar. Muir and other defenders of Hetch Hetchy believe the fight revolved around two central issues. ", "Fall in the Main Tuolumne River at the Head of Hetch Hetchy Valley", "Fly Fishing Poopenaut Valley Tuolumne River", "Screech Brothers Find Hetch Hetchy Valley", "Big Oak Flat (No. DWRs meta-study found a range of costs from $3 billion to $10 billion for restoration and replacement of water and power sources. List what negative externalities are associated with the construction [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. Park entry (as needed). The dam also provides flood control, irrigation, and water storage along the Colorado River. [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. There are four fundamental ways in which dams damage rivers. The history of Californias growth is inextricably linked to the search for water. 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. From our petition "The cost of replacing water storage in Hetch Hetchy Valley to maintain the current levels of water service and electrical power production by CCSF would be approximately 2 billion dollars, including 199 million dollars for additional interties, 372 million dollars for water supply, 387 million dollars for water treatment, 669 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. 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. [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. At SPUR, we have done a lot of work on climate change adaptation. Watershed Worker (Summer, 2023) - Hetch Hetchy Water & Power (Moccasin) - SFPUC (7542) Job at City and County of San Francisco in Moccasin. [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 Blackberry Inn Bed and Breakfast is just one of many welcoming businesses located on the way to Hetch Hetchy. The Hetch Hetchy Valley is about 8 miles (13 km) from Yosemite Valley. Why we must restore Hetch Hetchy - SFGATE The grassroots organization of environmental activism, established by John Muir and his supporters, became a model for future environmentalists. [42] They claimed the valley was not unique and would be even more beautiful with a lake. 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. People have died after being swept off the bridge and onto the rocks below. San Francisco Hetch Hetchy Dam Almost Failed and Could - Breitbart 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. [70] Hodel called for a study of the effect of tearing down the dam. Hetch Hetchy and many others were built by . 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. Could you imagine building a dam inside a national park today? It is the primary water source for about 2.5 million residents of the San Francisco Bay Area. View of the OShaughnessy Dam and the Hetchy Hetchy Road and parking. 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. He discovered it a few of years later. [75] The remaining deficit would likely have to be replaced by polluting fossil fuel generation. 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. Congress would decide the fate of the Hetchy Hetchy Valley. 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. Download the official NPS app before your next visit. [48], The Early Intake (Lower Cherry) Powerhouse began commercial operation five years before the O'Shaughnessy Dam was completed. 2023 Yosemite Mariposa County Tourism Bureau, Yosemite Itineraries: What to Do in Yosemite. 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 From 1901 - 1913, John Muir led the Sierra Club in a campaign to protect the Hetch Hetchy Valley, a part of Yosemite National Park, from being filled by a reservoir. The controversy over damming Hetch Hetchy became mired in the political issues of the day. SPUR wholeheartedly agrees that planning for water quality and reliability is important. There are many places to stop and enjoy views of the rushing water before turning around to return to your car. It's dumb, dumb, dumb. San Francisco Mayor James Phelan led the fight to build a dam at Hetch Hetchy. Klamath Dam Removal Applauded by Newsom, Haaland et al., How About Dbq Hetchy Project - 663 Words | Internet Public Library Finally, in 1988, a third generator was added to the Kirkwood Powerhouse. "Dam Hetch Hetchy!" - I Take History . Yet it also highlighted the division within the conservation movement over two fundamental principles: utilitarian conservation versus preservation. While youre at it, plan to add to the historic flavor of this route with a stop the Northern Mariposa County History Center. Only a tiny proportion of Yosemites visitors explore this out-of-the-way corner of the national park. Rancheria Falls itself is a series of whitewater cascades that crashes through a narrow canyon on its way to the reservoir. 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. Start by hiking across the OShaughnessy Dam then turn east along the shore of the reservoir. [5], The valley is fed by the Tuolumne River, Falls Creek, Tiltill Creek, Rancheria Creek, and numerous smaller streams which collectively drain a watershed of 459sqmi (1,190km2). To get to Hetch Hetchy, turn north off Highway 120 onto Evergreen Road about 1 mile (2.2 km) outside the Big Oak Flat Entrance gate, and 12.5 miles (20 km) east of the small community of Buck Meadows. We can't help it either. Consequences - Hetch Hetchy: The Valley of Broken Promises 2 Existing Regional Water System - San Francisco We're not going to remove this dam, and the funding is unnecessary. "[32], In 1867, Charles F. Hoffman of the California Geological Survey conducted the first survey of the valley. while birds, bees, and butterflies help the river and waterfalls to stir all the air into music. And today there is even an organization, Restore Hetch Hetchy, which is committed to doing just that. Said San Francisco resident William Denman in 1918, "The first time I went into the Hetch Hetchy the mosquitoes were intolerable. As Hetch Hetchy Reservoir Fills, Environmentalists Still Dream of Five country-chic rooms in the main building include en suite bathrooms, free WiFi and electric fireplaces. Before they could break ground at the OShaughnessy Dam, more infrastructure was required. As a result, San Francisco secured a reliable and . The SFPUC tests its quality more than 100,000 times a year to ensure that it exceeds all safe drinking water standards. They also remove water needed for healthy in-stream ecosystems. 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. Muir famously said, Dam Hetch Hetchy! 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. Finally, with the railroad complete, teams broke ground on the OShaughnessy Dam on August 1, 1919. 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. He was a firm believer in utilitarian conservation. The . John Muir knew that without public support, the Hetch Hetchy Valley would be lost. The Tuolumne River originates in the peaks above Tuolumne Meadows and is the major drainage system for the northern part of Yosemite. 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). If you delight in getting off the well-beaten path, or if you are looking for a peaceful natural retreat, its perfection. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This is interesting from an ideological perspective. Through the manipulation of water, the company also had the power to determine which real estate became valuable and which languished. It is spectacular: a miles-long placid blue lake nested within towering granite cliffs, from which waterfalls cascade. The battle over Hetch Hetchy was a fight to determine whether a beautiful valley would remain in its natural state or service the growing city of San Franciscos water needs. 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. Spring and early summer bring wildflowers including lupine, wallflower, monkey flower, and buttercup. Shasta, Oroville, Hetch Hetchy and many others were built by damming large rivers. 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. Required fields are marked *. For instance, the WET company helps people see the beauty of water through magnificent water fountains. 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 dam and reservoir are the source for the Hetch Hetchy Aqueduct, which provides water for over . The Great Alaskan Land Fraud and the Pinchot-Ballinger Controversy caused both Richard A. Ballinger and Gifford Pinchot to resign and be fired respectively. This strenuous 2.5-mile, round-trip hike to the Tuolumne River has 1,229 feet of elevation gain. San Francisco could flood the valley and work began the following year. Hetch Hetchy: Pros and Cons of Restoration - Yosemite Tales This time, in favor of those who wanted to build the dam. Have you been to Hetch Hetchy Reservoir in Yosemite? It also was an early battle of conservatives vs progressives. Impounded by O'Shaughnessy Dam, Hetch Hetchy Reservoir water passes through hydroelectric powerhouses before it enters the San Joaquin Pipelines, the Tesla Ultraviolet Treatment Facility, and the Coast Range Tunnel on its journey to the Bay Area. 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). The exploitation of Californias natural resources continued unabated in the years leading up to Hetch Hetchy. As well dam for water-tanks the peoples cathedrals and churches, for no holier temple has ever been consecrated by the heart of man.. 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. can you smoke on royal caribbean cruise ships benefits of hetch hetchy dam. The SFPUC tests its quality more than 100,000 times a year to ensure that it exceeds all safe drinking water standards. 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. . Hetch Hetchy Valley is a treasure worth visiting. The Valley Below | The Verge About one million years ago, the extensive Sherwin glaciation widened, deepened and straightened river valleys along the western slope of the Sierra Nevada, including Hetch Hetchy, Yosemite Valley, and Kings Canyon farther to the south. They were both initially carved by rivers flowing down the Sierras relatively gentle western slope. the Hetch Hetchy Dam (1910-13) Abstract The damming of Hetch Hetchy in Yosemite National Park is a watershed event in environmental history, a presumed travesty that brought anguish to John Muir and his many sup porters throughout the United States. 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. It involved the unintended consequences of efforts to shape the environment to meet human needs. The O'Shaughnessy Dam is 430-foot (131 m) high made of concrete and it is named after engineer Michael O'Shaughnessy, who oversaw the entire construction. San Francisco Can Ban New Natural Gas Because It Destroyed The Hetch California needed secure, reliable access to drinking water for their burgeoning populations. But Hetch Hetchy, one of nature's perfect . To get the electricity they would need, they first built a smaller dam at Lake Eleanor. 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. The chief began packing up and, when Nate asked him why, he replied, The valley is yours now., Far below them, the river cascaded into a peaceful valley floor, a heavenly setting similar to that of the main Yosemite Valley. 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. 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 Dam flooded about nine miles of the river, including the Hetch Hetchy valley. RELATED: A Woman Started The Environmental Movement (Can It Continue?). 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. This time it was in favor those who wanted to preserve the valley for generations yet to come. 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. 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. This is a place considered by John Muir to be equal in beauty to Yose. The Hetch Hetchy Dam is destroying a piece of land that is the homes of multiple types of animals. . [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. The proposed study would also have been required to identify potential replacements for the water storage capacity and hydroelectric power production.[87][88]. Worth a Dam? - Earth Island Journal 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. Hetch Hetchy Dome, at 6,197ft (1,889m), lies directly north of it. Winter weather conditions may cause road closures. 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. 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. For your last day, enjoy a short hike on the shores of the beautiful Hetch Hetchy Reservoir. Hetch Hetchy, for the time being, was safe, and it would not be inundated during Roosevelts watch.. High temperatures prevail in summer months, but its a small price to pay for the reward of vast wilderness filled with stunning peaks, hidden canyons, and remote lakes. Its a a wonderful place to see spring waterfalls and wildflower displays. PDF ISSUE GUIDE Hetch Hetchy - theautry.org [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. As John Clayton writes, At the height of Progressivism, Phelan and other good-government types believed that the city should administer its own utilities. Yet environmentalists have dreamed of restoring the dramatic valley along the Tuolumne River, which was filled in by the lake when the dam was built in 1938 under the New Deal. 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. As well dam for . [8], Meadow plants unavailable in the lowlands were particularly valuable resources to these tribes. Within 50 years, vegetative cover would be complete except for exposed rocky areas. Restore Hetch Hetchy Valley, Vote Yes! on Proposition F

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