[57] Pipelines 3 and 4 end at the Pulgas Water Temple, a small park that contains classical architectural elements which celebrate the water delivery. The Tuolumne River continues through Tuolumne Meadows and the associated park developments at an elevation of 8,600 feet. 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. The valley provided an escape from the summer heat of the lowlands. [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. Albert Bierstadt was known for his sweeping landscapes of the American West. He said, So we come now face to face with the perfectly clean question of what is the best use to which this water that flows out of the Sierras can be put. Hetch Hetchy is dammed by the 430-foot-tall OShaughnessy Dam and has a storage capacity of 360,360 acre-feet. 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.. 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. Since the valley was within Yosemite National Park, an act of Congress was needed to authorize the project. The Blackberry Inn Bed and Breakfast is just one of many welcoming businesses located on the way to Hetch Hetchy. Call 209-372-0200 for the latest road and weather conditions, Hetch Hetchy Road Daily Hours: 8 am to 5 pm. Swimming and boating are prohibited in Hetch Hetchy Reservoir in order to maintain a clean source of drinking water. 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. [54][55], After passing through the powerhouses, Hetch Hetchy water flows into the 167mi (269km) Hetch Hetchy Aqueduct which travels across the Central Valley. [70] Hodel called for a study of the effect of tearing down the dam. Appreciate what nature created and what the city built there long ago. Before they could break ground at the OShaughnessy Dam, more infrastructure was required. That's about twice the amount of power lost when Hetch Hetchy will be restored. [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. can you smoke on royal caribbean cruise ships benefits of hetch hetchy dam. The reservoir is fed by the Tuolumne River. Use good judgment and stay safe. Instead, the magnificence of a valley often described as Yosemite Valleys slightly smaller twin takes center stage. The National Park Service concluded that two years after draining the valley, grasses would cover most of its floor and within 10 years, clumps of cone-bearing trees and some oaks would take root. Copyright © 2023 More Than Just Parks | This post may contain affiliate links - read our Standards, Corrections, & Privacy Policy. As the Hetch Hetchy Valley was part of Yosemite National Park, Hitchcock preferred to protect the park's natural wonders. [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). Hetch Hetchy is an iconic, rare and spectacular landscape, Hetch Hetchy is part of Yosemite National Park and its damming and flooding is by far the worst destruction of our national parks have ever experienced Restoration would not only make Yosemite whole once again it would inspire people that we don't need to live with mistakes of the past" Dam Hetch Hetchy! Buck Meadows is also a great place to spend the night. More Than Just Parks | National Parks Guides. The Hetch Hetchy Dam in the Yosemite Valley, receives the bulk of it's water from the sierra snow pack miles above the reservoir. They poured an estimated total of more than 398,000 cubic yards (304,000 cubic meters) of concrete to form the dam. 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. Hetch Hetchy Valley was once home to a richly diverse ecosystem, surrounded by towering cliffs and waterfalls similar to those in neighboring Yosemite Valley. [48], The Early Intake (Lower Cherry) Powerhouse began commercial operation five years before the O'Shaughnessy Dam was completed. 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. Yosemite Westgate Lodge offers newly-remodeled and well-appointed modern accommodation. In the Bay Area, Hetch Hetchy water is stored in local facilities including Calaveras Reservoir, Crystal Springs Reservoir, and San Antonio Reservoir. 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. In continuance, water has a personality and the presence of it can change moods and help people feel better. 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. In contrast to the utilitarian view, the preservationist approach denied the assumption that the natural world existed solely to serve mans purposes. Only a tiny proportion of Yosemites visitors explore this out-of-the-way corner of the national park. Next to John Muir, the most vocal defender of the Hetch Hetchy Valley was Harriet Monroe. [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. 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. The spacious rooms include access to a heated swimming pool, spa, playground, and laundry facilities. Building a dam there was off the table. There is plenty to see and do right here, from kayaking on the water to climbing the magnificent domes above. 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. Principally, dam removal on the Klamath will require annual replacement of 696 gigawatt hours of electricity by other means. [40] By the 1880s, San Francisco was looking to Hetch Hetchy water as a fix for its outdated and unreliable water system. But if you still have energy, continue past the bridge to Rancheria Falls. If you delight in getting off the well-beaten path, or if you are looking for a peaceful natural retreat, its perfection. As Muir famously protested: Dam Hetch Hetchy? 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. [4] A broad, low rocky outcrop situated between Kolana Rock and Hetch Hetchy Dome divided the former meadow in two distinct sections. So visit Hetch Hetchy. 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. The restoration of Hetch Hetchy would be a simple task compared to some dam removal efforts. 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. Those in favor of dam removal have pointed out that many actions by San Francisco since 1913 have been in violation of the Raker Act, which explicitly stated that power and water from Hetch Hetchy could not be sold to private interests. 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. He produced at least four oil paintings of the valley one of which is prominently displayed in Mount Holyoke Colleges art museum. Other trails also continue to Lake Vernon. Muir famously said, Dam Hetch Hetchy! As the battle lines were drawn, the different methods employed by each side in presenting their case spoke to some of their basic assumptions about the nature of the issue. 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. Assign each group to analyze one or more . The dam was then 227 feet (69m) high; its present height of 312 feet (95m) was achieved only later, in 1938. You can expect one (short) email per month. "[22], The valley's name may be derived from a Miwok word earlier anglicized as hatchhatchie, which means "edible grasses"[8][23] or "magpie". "[61][62], The battle over Hetch Hetchy Valley continues today[when?] The first people, outside of Native Americans, to see the Hetch Hetchy Valley were Joseph, Nate and William Screechin 1850. Photo: Theresa Ho, Of course, the proposal was immediately opposed by environmentalists including the Sierra Club and John Muir. California needed secure, reliable access to drinking water for their burgeoning populations. Shasta, Oroville, Hetch Hetchy and many others were built by damming large rivers. John Muir knew that without public support, the Hetch Hetchy Valley would be lost. High temperatures prevail in summer months, but that is a small price to pay for the reward of vast wilderness filled with stunning peaks, hidden canyons, and remote lakes. Coming from the San Francisco Bay Area youll pass right through Buck Meadows on Highway 120. 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. What should be the fate of prairies, wetlands, or coastal marshes? Two additional reservoirs in the Hetch Hetchy RegionLake Eleanor and Lake Lloyd (also [40] The city would repeatedly try to acquire water rights to Hetch Hetchy, including in 1901, 1903 and 1905, but was continually rebuffed because of conflicts with irrigation districts that had senior water rights on the Tuolumne River, and because of the valley's national park status. [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 O'Shaughnessy Dam is near Yosemite's western boundary, but the long, narrow, fingerlike reservoir stretches eastward for about 8 miles (13 km). . To visit the waterfalls or Yosemites northern backcountry, you walk across OShaughnessy Dam. Like Muir, he was totally transfixed by the Hetch Hetchy Valley. The same features that make Hetch Hetchy Valley so spectacular also make it an ideal location for a dam. 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. At full capacity, the reservoir stretches eight miles (13 km) upstream of the OShaughnessy Dam. Finally, in 1988, a third generator was added to the Kirkwood Powerhouse. DWR also found that the planning studies necessary to refine the costs and benefits of restoration would cost $65 million alone. Richard Ballinger was appointed his Interior Secretary. benefits of hetch hetchy dam. Even a short stroll from the car gives a magnificent view of the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir from the OShaughnessy Dam. 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 law authorizing the dam passed Congress on December 7, 1913. They would light upon a man's blue shirt and turn it brown, and were voracious as mosquitoes would be. Congress, confronted with rising public opposition, refused to act on the measure. [36] Muir's friend Robert Underwood Johnson of the politically influential Century Magazine and several other prominent figures were inspired by Muir's work and helped to get Yosemite National Park established by October 1, 1890. It also was an early battle of conservatives vs progressives. Forests might provide for the material well-being of human beings, but they did not exist for this reason alone. It is the primary water source for about 2.5 million residents of the San Francisco Bay Area. A bigger population will increase demand, meanwhile climate change could significantly reduce supply through drought and hydrological cycle changes. [53], As completed, O'Shaughnessy Dam is 910 feet (280m) long, spanning the valley at its narrow outlet. [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. . 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. "[85] However, she does support breaching the dam once it has reached the end of its lifespan, and not replacing it. Hetch Hetchy Water and Power also wants to remove the giant bulkhead that seals up the tunnel with 40 nuts and bolts, Ritchie said. An adjacent building contains another five suites with vaulted ceilings, forest views and soaking tubs. The battle for Hetch Hetchy wasnt just conservationists vs preservationists. Its a a wonderful place to see spring waterfalls and wildflower displays. Instead, it was a more complicated battle which pitted public interests against private interests. These are called Bay Division Pipelines (BDPL) 1, 2, 3, and 4, with nominal pipeline diameters of 60, 66, 78, and 96 inches (1.5, 1.7, 2.0 and 2.4m, respectively). San Francisco applied once again for rights to Hetch Hetchy in 1908. Hetch Hetchy, located at 3,900 feet in Yosemite National Park, is one of the park's most popular hiking . 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. There is a third concept, too, though it was little understood at the time. The Hetch Hetchy Dam is destroying a piece of land that is the homes of multiple types of animals. The SFPUC tests its quality more than 100,000 times a year to ensure that it exceeds all safe drinking water standards. 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. There, he met the same Indian chief and his wives. 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. 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. 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. But Sites would be what's called an off-channel reservoir, built away from the river. The dam and reservoir are the source for the Hetch Hetchy Aqueduct, which provides water for over . The regional water system provides water to 2.4 million people in San Francisco, Santa Clara, Alameda and San Mateo counties. If you want to follow the old railroad line today, the Hetch Hetchy Road and most of the Mather Road were built on the old railroad bed and are beautiful scenic drives as well. Guests at these suites receive breakfast on their patios. Like Muir, she felt the beauty of the valley was a national treasure which ought to be preserved. While opponents of the dam were hard pressed for financial support, the city of San Franciscos campaign was well financed. Construction of O'Shaughnessy Dam began in 1919 and was finished in 1923, with the reservoir first filling in May of that year. What part should mountains, rivers, natural meadows or wild creatures play in American life? 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. This 1910 view shows Kolana Rock and Tueeulala Falls in the background. 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? Fourth, dams alter water quality. As we learned from Rachel Carsons Silent Spring, humankind can damage the environment while attempting to control it. The proposed study would also have been required to identify potential replacements for the water storage capacity and hydroelectric power production.[87][88]. [5] The valley was slowly becoming known for its natural beauty, but it was never a popular tourist destination because of extremely poor access and the location of the famous Yosemite Valley just twenty miles to the south. But tearing OShaughnessy Dam down now in order to restore Hetch Hetchy Valley would be a disaster. The water winds between granite features like Kolana Rock and Hetch Hetchy Dome. Seventeen species of bats inhabit the Hetch Hetchy area, including the largest North American bat, the western mastiff. As a result, San Francisco secured a reliable and . [74] A 2019 study commissioned by Restore Hetch Hetchy argued that draining the reservoir and equipping the valley with a tourism infrastructure comparable to that of Yosemite Valley (which receives around 100 times as many visitors annually as Hetch Hetchy's 44,000) could result in a "recreational value" of up to $178 million per year, or possibly an overall economic value of up to $100 billion. 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. No BS! Hetch Hetchy is the incredible story of Americas most controversial dam and the birth of the environmental movement. The exploitation of Californias natural resources continued unabated in the years leading up to Hetch Hetchy. The reservoir is eight miles long and the largest single body of water in Yosemite. 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. If the nation set aside some natural places as especially sacred, how far beyond their borders should a sense of the sacred extend? [31], During this time, the upper Tuolumne River, including Hetch Hetchy Valley, was visited by prospectors attracted by the California Gold Rush. Have all students read the debate overview and page one of the HR 7207, the "Raker Bill". 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. While youre at it, plan to add to the historic flavor of this route with a stop the Northern Mariposa County History Center. Hetch Hetchy and Yosemite Valley are so similar because they were created by the same sequences of geological activity. 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. Building the Hetch Hetchy dam in such a remote location was an enormous project. 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.. In the distance, long white plumes of water cascade hundreds of feet down from rocky heights. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This is interesting from an ideological perspective. Environmentalists lost what was the opening battle in a fight to preserve Americas natural wonders. ", "The Hetch Hetchy Story, Part II: PG&E and the Raker Act", "The Forbidden Water: San Francisco and Hetch Hetchy Valley", "Idyllic Pulgas Water Temple still offers comfort for weary wanderers", "Chronology of San Francisco's Water Development", "Frequently Asked Questions About Hetch Hetchy Reservoir and the Regional Water & Power System", "Water From Yosemite Is Still Cheap, for Now", "Serving 2.6 million residential, commercial and industrial customers", "Hetch Hetchy water goes through ultraviolet rinse", "A historic bid for limited boating at Hetch Hetchy Reservoir", "Trump team reassigns Yosemite National Park superintendent; timing raises questions", "Western Water Wars: Efforts to Take Over San Francisco's Hetch Hetchy Systems", "Hetch Hetchy Power Debacle: Continuing Yosemite Threat", "Could Hetch Hetchy Valley be worth $100 billion? As John Clayton writes, At the height of Progressivism, Phelan and other good-government types believed that the city should administer its own utilities. [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. As well dam for water-tanks the people's cathedrals and churches, for no holier temple has ever been . When changes are made there are unintended consequences. Apply Today! He had journeyed to Washington to lobby the federal government on behalf of the project. The Hetch Hetchy Reservoir created by the dam has a capacity of 360,400acreft (0.4445km3), with a maximum area of 1,972 acres (798ha) and a maximum depth of 306 feet (93m). Residents drink it in 26 cities and water districts from San. 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. Muir and other defenders of Hetch Hetchy believe the fight revolved around two central issues. Exactly how San Francisco won the right to transform the bucolic valley into a 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. Hetch Hetchy, unlike other water storage facilities in California, is relatively buffered from near-term climate change because of its high elevation. [citation needed], The Hetch Hetchy Valley began as a V-shaped river canyon cut out by the ancestral Tuolumne River. Said San Francisco resident William Denman in 1918, "The first time I went into the Hetch Hetchy the mosquitoes were intolerable. The extensive amount of storage, which is designed to benefit the Bay Area as droughts become more severe with climate. 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.
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