[67], Those in opposition of dam removal state that demolishing O'Shaughnessy Dam would take away a valuable source of clean, renewable hydroelectric power in the Kirkwood and Moccasin powerhouses; even if measures such as seasonal water diversion into the powerhouses were employed, it would only make up for a fraction of the original power production. In an effort to build this support, he published his bookThe Yosemitein 1912. 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. benefits of hetch hetchy dam. On returning home, he asked an Indian chief the name of the valley. The Hetch Hetchy Dam is destroying a piece of land that is the homes of multiple types of animals. Smith Peak (7,751 feet) is the highest point in the area and offers outstanding views. 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. It is 13 miles from the Yosemite National Park border and twice as close to the park than the town of Groveland. 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). The question Pinchot always asked was, What is the greatest good for the greatest number?, He was famously quoted as saying, Where conflicting interests must be reconciled, the question shall always be answered from the standpoint of the greatest good of the greatest number in the long run., RELATED: Gifford Pinchot: A 2021 Lesson From Americas First Forester, In his congressional testimony, Pinchot argued in favor of building the dam. Construction of O'Shaughnessy Dam began in 1919 and was finished in 1923, with the reservoir first filling in May of that year. Second, dams slow rivers. 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. Native American cultures were prominent before the 1850s when the first settlers from the United States arrived in the Sierra Nevada. Indeed, Hetch Hetchy today[when?] The second concept is preservation. San Francisco assumed from the outset that there would not be significant opposition to using the Hetch Hetchy Valley, even if it was in a national park, for the high and noble purpose of providing water to one of the nations great and growing metropolises, so their efforts in Washington, DC, were conducted discreetly. Consider one project in progress that involves re-routing an entire river . [30] After the valley's native inhabitants were driven out by the newcomers, it was used by ranchers, many of whom were former miners, to graze livestock. There is a third concept, too, though it was little understood at the time. history. Hetch Hetchy is on the main stem of the Tuolumne River and is part of the Tuolumne watershed. . The inadequacy of the citys existing water supply came into sharp focus. Without Hetch Hetchy as its primary reservoir, San Francisco will be forced to pump and filter its water for the first time in a century, and lose out on the 726 million kilowatt-hours produced by . 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. 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. [21][33] Albert Bierstadt, Charles Dorman Robinson and William Keith were known for their landscapes that drew tourists to the Hetch Hetchy Valley. [13], Hetch Hetchy is home to a diverse array of plants and animals. Environmentalists lost what was the opening battle in a fight to preserve Americas natural wonders. As surely as forests provided timber, so did they provide beauty, inspiration, and the renewal of over-citified spirits. O'Shaughnessey Dam Facts. between those who wish to retain the dam and reservoir, and those who wish to drain the reservoir and return Hetch Hetchy Valley to its former state. [71], The dam would not have to be completely removed; rather, it would only be necessary to cut a hole through the base in order to drain the water and restore natural flows of the Tuolumne River. RELATED: A Woman Started The Environmental Movement (Can It Continue?). William Howard Taft became president in 1909. The new 68-mile (109 km) railroad wound its way up the narrow canyon of the Tuolumne River past sharp curves and up steep 4% grades. In fact, this is so obviously a good idea that the SFPUC and other end users of Hetch Hetchy water have been doing it for years. Related. 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. As of October 2022, Hetch Hetchy was at 77.5% of its capacity. 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. Friday, enjoy an evening about bats starting at 7 pm. The privately owned Spring Valley Water Company had required its customers to pay exorbitant rates for years. DWRs meta-study found a range of costs from $3 billion to $10 billion for restoration and replacement of water and power sources. The O'Shaughnessy Dam is near Yosemite's western boundary, but the long, narrow, fingerlike reservoir stretches eastward for about 8 miles (13km). He was a firm believer in utilitarian conservation. 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. Located at 3,900 feet, it boasts one of the longest hiking seasons in the park. 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. Teams completed the OShaughnessy Dam in 1923 and the reservoir filled for the first time in May of that year. ", "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. 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. He wrote, I have always called it the Tuolumne Yosemite, for it is a wonderfully exact counterpart of the great Yosemite, not only in its crystal river and sublime rocks and waterfalls, but in the gardens, groves, and meadows of its flowery park-like floor. The Poopenaut Trail begins at a signed trailhead four miles past the entrance station. According to a local legend, Nate spotted a valley to the east that was too far to visit. . 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. This can lead to algal blooms and decreased oxygen levels. 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. The terminus of the incomplete line was "conveniently located next to a PG&E substation", which connected to PG&E's private line which in turn bridged the gap to San Francisco. But how did the dam get to be here? The view in Hetch Hetchy Valley As you know by now, the hike is 90% along the reservoir so you always get to see the most beautiful blue water in all of California. It is the source of water for the city of San Francisco. Exactly how San Francisco won the right to transform the bucolic valley into a 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). Hetch Hetchy's restoration, after all, will benefit national . It would be almost impossible to build a new dam there today. 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. [42] This provoked a seven-year environmental struggle with the environmental group Sierra Club, led by John Muir. San Francisco had its eyes on this water source early on and repeatedly tried to acquire water rights to the Tuolumne River. He produced at least four oil paintings of the valley one of which is prominently displayed in Mount Holyoke Colleges art museum. The trail includes spectacular views of Tueeulala and Wapama Falls. "[19], People have lived in Hetch Hetchy Valley for over 6,000 years. You could then scuba ElCapitan down to the valley floor. Then it travels through a series of mountain tunnels. The valley floor consisted of roughly 1,200 acres (490ha) of meadows fringed by pine forest, through which meandered the Tuolumne River and numerous tributary streams. The 68mi (109km) Hetch Hetchy Railroad was constructed to link the Sierra Railway with Hetch Hetchy Valley, allowing for direct rail shipment of construction materials from San Francisco to the dam site. This is why environmental impact statements, which were not required prior to 1969, are so important today. San Francisco Mayor James Phelan led the fight to build a dam at Hetch Hetchy. Muir famously said, Dam Hetch Hetchy! These clean and comfortable rooms also enjoy access to the pool, spa and other facilities at Yosemite Westgate Lodge. 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). Miners did not stay in the area for long, however, as richer deposits occurred further south along the Merced River and in the Big Oak Flat area. The SFPUC tests its quality more than 100,000 times a year to ensure that it exceeds all safe drinking water standards. RELATED: Meet The Real Life Batman & Robin Of The National Parks. Expect delicious meals and hearty portions to fuel your adventure or beat that post-hiking hunger. You can expect one (short) email per month. "[34], When Yosemite Valley became part of a state park in 1864, Hetch Hetchy received no such designation. Could you imagine building a dam inside a national park today? 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. When youre standing at the shore overlooking what appears to be a lake, picture yourself looking down into a verdant valley filled with the tall native grasses that give the valley its name. First, the beauty of the valley which they felt should not be sacrificed to build a dam. [82] Dianne Feinstein opposed this allocation, saying, "I will do all I can to make sure it isn't included in the final bill. And it is the largest single source of water supply for the Bay Area. The locations of these two formations roughly correspond with those of Cathedral Rocks and El Capitan seen from Tunnel View in Yosemite Valley. This time, in favor of those who wanted to build the dam. This strenuous 2.5-mile, round-trip hike to the Tuolumne River has 1,229 feet of elevation gain. The network goes from the Sierra Nevada mountains, across the Central Valley and out to the coast, and serves 2.5 million Californians in 30 cities across four counties. An adjacent building contains another five suites with vaulted ceilings, forest views and soaking tubs. But tearing OShaughnessy Dam down now in order to restore Hetch Hetchy Valley would be a disaster. Muir concludes his treatise on Hetch Hetchy with the now familiar words, "Dam Hetch Hetchy! Earn $27.3125 per hour. Camping included, if needed; limited sites are shared among all the . The O'Shaughnessy Dam is near Yosemite's western boundary, but the long, narrow, fingerlike reservoir stretches eastward for about 8 miles (13 km). The surface of the water hides an additional 300 feet of granite cliffs and once-upon-a-time waterfalls within its depths. As a consequence, visitors came to experience it for themselves. The regional water system provides water to 2.4 million people in San Francisco, Santa Clara, Alameda and San Mateo counties. [40] By the 1880s, San Francisco was looking to Hetch Hetchy water as a fix for its outdated and unreliable water system. The trail to Wapama Falls is one of the most popular trails in the Hetch Hetchy area for a good reason. 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. Photo: Herbert W. Gleason courtesy of the Sierra Club. But Sites would be what's called an off-channel reservoir, built away from the river. 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. View of the OShaughnessy Dam and the Hetchy Hetchy Road and parking. This limits their ability to access spawning habitat, seek out food resources, and escape predation. Hetch Hetchy is a valley, a reservoir, and a water system in California in the United States. 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. Many are vital pieces of infrastructure that provide reliable water supplies, hydropower, flood control, and recreation. San Francisco applied once again for rights to Hetch Hetchy in 1908. Hetch Hetchy Valley, dammed and flooded in the 1920s despite bitter opposition from Sierra Club founder John Muir, provides drinking water for an estimated 2 million people in the San Francisco . Hetch Hetchy water serves residents in four Bay Area counties, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara and Southern Alameda. The extensive amount of storage, which is designed to benefit the Bay Area as droughts become more severe with climate. She says the water first leaves Hetch Hetchy through the O'Shaughnessy Dam. Coming from the San Francisco Bay Area youll pass right through Buck Meadows on Highway 120. Get SPUR news and events delivered straight to your email inbox. For example, plan to stop at the Lucky Buck Cafe on your way to or from a day of exploring Yosemite. For your last day, enjoy a short hike on the shores of the beautiful Hetch Hetchy Reservoir. "[65] Harold L. Ickes, Secretary of the Interior in the late 1930s, said there was a violation of the Raker Act, but he and the city reached an agreement in 1945. Should nature be left alone so that flora and fauna flourish while people enjoy its primal wonders? [85] [35] Muir, who himself had briefly worked as a shepherd in Hetch Hetchy, was known for calling sheep "hoofed locusts" because of their environmental impact. If the dam were not to be built, it would only benefit the small percentage of Americans who actually visited the site and were concerned about the park's pristine condition. Albert Bierstadt was known for his sweeping landscapes of the American West. 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. The dam was then 227 feet (69m) high; its present height of 312 feet (95m) was achieved only later, in 1938. No picture of the giant sequoia trees in Yosemite National Park manages to fully capture their immense size and majesty. Use good judgment and stay safe. Since then, the "Hetch Hetchy System" has continued to grow, now including nine impoundments . Finally, with the railroad complete, teams broke ground on the OShaughnessy Dam on August 1, 1919. [41], In 1906, after a major earthquake and subsequent fire that devastated San Francisco, the inadequacy of the city's water system was made tragically clear. Two additional reservoirs in the Hetch Hetchy RegionLake Eleanor and Lake Lloyd (also One route begins six miles beyond the entrance station. [12] During the last glacial period, the Tioga Glacier[13] formed from extensive icefields in the upper Tuolumne River watershed; between 110,000 and 10,000 years ago Hetch Hetchy Valley was sculpted into its present shape by repeated advance and retreat of the ice, which also removed extensive talus deposits that may have accumulated in the valley since the Sherwin period. "[81] Hodel, now retired, is still[when?] Through the manipulation of water, the company also had the power to determine which real estate became valuable and which languished. Also convince them it would be a good idea to raise the heights of their dams so we can enlarge these reservoirs with our extra water, flooding anew many miles of the Tuolumne River and acres of currently dry land. The Great Alaskan Land Fraud and the Pinchot-Ballinger Controversy caused both Richard A. Ballinger and Gifford Pinchot to resign and be fired respectively. The law authorizing the dam passed Congress on December 7, 1913. [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. 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. 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. Have you been to Hetch Hetchy Reservoir in Yosemite? Dams, including this one, dont last forever, and perhaps in a few generations the conversation about a different future for the Hetch Hetchy Valley may be worthwhile. 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.. [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. Today, descendants of these people still use milkweed, deergrass, bracken fern, willow, and other plants for a variety of uses including baskets, medicines, and string. Its a a wonderful place to see spring waterfalls and wildflower displays. Another popular trail crosses the OShaughnessy Dam and then takes a left turn to climb steeply out of the Hetch Hetchy valley. 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.
Psychoactive Drugs Influence Which Of The Following Quizlet,
Articles B