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. A large part of today's incentive for restoration is that when the dam and the Hetch Hetchy reservoir were authorized by President Woodrow Wilson in 1913, as the Raker Act, the Hetch Hetchy Valley . A bigger population will increase demand, meanwhile climate change could significantly reduce supply through drought and hydrological cycle changes. 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. Hydroelectric power generated from the Hetch Hetchy project is largely sold to Bay Area customers through a private power company, Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E). The dam is a small portion of the overall Tuolumne River/San Francisco storage system that benefits the Bay Area. Download the official NPS app before your next visit. Due to extreme winter weather, Yosemite National Park is closed with no estimated date of reopening. But tearing OShaughnessy Dam down now in order to restore Hetch Hetchy Valley would be a disaster. . 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 history of Californias growth is inextricably linked to the search for water. The extensive amount of storage, which is designed to benefit the Bay Area as droughts become more severe with climate. The new. He was a firm believer in utilitarian conservation. "[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. Hetch Hetchy and many others were built by . The Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, which lies within the Yosemite National Park, supplies 85% of the water needs of San Francisco and surrounding counties. 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 was able to accomplish this in 1925 by claiming it had run out of funds to extend the Hetch Hetchy transmission line all the way to the city. It then cascades on its westward descent through the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne, and enters the eastern end of Hetch Hetchy Reservoir. Secretary of the Interior, Ethan Allen Hitchcock, refused to give San Francisco a permit to build the dam. Some years later, water began flowing to San Francisco. In the Bay Area, Hetch Hetchy water is stored in local facilities including Calaveras Reservoir, Crystal Springs Reservoir, and San Antonio Reservoir. 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. Rounding the corner and catching the first glimpses of Hetch Hetchy Valley reveals the play of light on water. The Hetch Hetchy Valley is about 8 miles (13 km) from Yosemite Valley. In 1987, President Reagans Secretary of the Interior, Donald Hodel, proposed that Hetch Hetchy be restored. As the Hetch Hetchy Valley was part of Yosemite National Park, Hitchcock preferred to protect the park's natural wonders. Congress has set aside the Yosemite Valley as a state park in 1864, established a national park around it in 1890, and then reclaimed the valley as part of the national park in 1903. You could miss this small mountain community if you blink at the wrong time, but it is home to a few remarkable small businesses. [16], Compared with Yosemite Valley, the walls of Hetch Hetchy are smoother and rounder because it was glaciated to a greater extent. The city must pay a lease of $30,000 per year for the use of Hetch Hetchy, which sits on federal land. 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. 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. Smith Peak (7,751 feet) is the highest point in the area and offers outstanding views. The deciding factor was whether or not the land in question had access to water. 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. For your last day, enjoy a short hike on the shores of the beautiful Hetch Hetchy Reservoir. Fortunately, that time has not yet come, so this November, vote no on the Water Sustainability and Environmental Restoration Planning Act of 2012. Lets keep Hetch Hetchy around for the forseeable future. Have all students read the debate overview and page one of the HR 7207, the "Raker Bill". [20] They hunted, and gathered seeds and edible plants to furnish themselves winter food, trade items, and materials for art and ceremonial objects. In the distance, long white plumes of water cascade hundreds of feet down from rocky heights. 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. Its a a wonderful place to see spring waterfalls and wildflower displays. At the time, neither side understood the long-range consequences of human actions to manage the environment. No picture of the giant sequoia trees in Yosemite National Park manages to fully capture their immense size and majesty. Hetch Hetchy water serves residents in four Bay Area counties, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara and Southern Alameda. The upcountry portion of the System begins with Hetch Hetchy Reservoir in Yosemite National Park. Many examples of red-barked manzanita can be seen along the Hetch Hetchy Road. This limits their ability to access spawning habitat, seek out food resources, and escape predation. Even in the summer when Yosemite Valley is being explored by visitors from around the world, Hetch Hetchy remains an oasis of relative calm. But Hetch Hetchy was a federally protected as part of Yosemite National Park. Over the next decade, he produced fifteen large oils that transformed the valley into a dreamland unlike anything that ever met mortal eye.. Located at 3,900 feet, it boasts one of the longest hiking seasons in the park. 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 You may take easy hike to Wapama falls ( around 6 miles) or even more challenging hike to Rancheria falls ( around 14 miles). Youll just need to see them for yourself. Like Muir, he was totally transfixed by the Hetch Hetchy Valley. Said San Francisco resident William Denman in 1918, "The first time I went into the Hetch Hetchy the mosquitoes were intolerable. If youre up for a driving adventure, try taking a little extra time to retrace parts of the route John Muir described in his book, My First Summer in the Sierra. To get the electricity they would need, they first built a smaller dam at Lake Eleanor. 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. [53], As completed, O'Shaughnessy Dam is 910 feet (280m) long, spanning the valley at its narrow outlet. In the 21st century, Ken Brower, son of the renown environmentalist David Brower, wrote a fascinating account of the failed campaign to save Hetch Hetchy and the modern effort to Reverse an American Mistake, complete with speculation about how the rebirth of a wild valley might evolve. A Dam Removal in Progress. Should nature be left alone so that flora and fauna flourish while people enjoy its primal wonders? But Hetch Hetchy, one of nature's perfect . 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. Start by hiking across the OShaughnessy Dam then turn east along the shore of the reservoir. Winter weather conditions may cause road closures. Wapama and Rancheria Falls Looking up at Wapama Falls from the footbridge on the hiking trail. Everyone who drinks water or takes a shower in San Francisco should go. 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. [37][38] However, ranchers who had previously owned land in the new park continued their use of Hetch Hetchy Valley a "sheep-grazing free-for-all [that] threatened to denude the High Sierra meadows"[37] before disputes over state and private properties in respect to national park boundaries were finally settled in the early 1900s. At SPUR, we have done a lot of work on climate change adaptation. [2] Hetch Hetchy is the incredible story of Americas most controversial dam and the birth of the environmental movement. [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. For instance, the WET company helps people see the beauty of water through magnificent water fountains. Once again, the political pendulum had swung. [46], Work on the Hetch Hetchy Project began in 1914. 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. Residents drink it in 26 cities and water districts from San. In some cases, however, including the Klamath and Hetch Hetchy, the benefits of restoration clearly outweigh the benefits provided by the dams. It also was an early battle of conservatives vs progressives. Not far from there, youll find more budget-minded lodging at Buck Meadows Lodge. In 2019, Restore Hetch Hetchy commissioned another study that found enormous recreational value from removing the dam. In 1913, Woodrow Wilson appointed Lane his Secretary of the Interior. These clean and comfortable rooms also enjoy access to the pool, spa and other facilities at Yosemite Westgate Lodge. Finally, in 1988, a third generator was added to the Kirkwood Powerhouse. Prominent sponsors of the dam proposal, particularly (by then former) Mayor James Phelan and city engineer Marsdon Manson (and later his successor, Michael OShaughnessy), quietly lobbied key figures in the government, trusting that the appeal of municipal water and power would easily win supporters amid the prevailing progressive political climate. 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. 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. It pitted a powerful city against a dedicated group of conservationists. 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. Second, dams slow rivers. According to a local legend, Nate spotted a valley to the east that was too far to visit. Located 30 miles southeast of Las Vegas, the dam captures water from the . Finally, with the railroad complete, teams broke ground on the OShaughnessy Dam on August 1, 1919. The openings in the Taft administration led to the eventual success of the Raker Act. [48], The Early Intake (Lower Cherry) Powerhouse began commercial operation five years before the O'Shaughnessy Dam was completed. [2] The dam contains 675,000cuyd (516,000m3) of concrete. [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). Principally, dam removal on the Klamath will require annual replacement of 696 gigawatt hours of electricity by other means. [citation needed], The Hetch Hetchy Valley began as a V-shaped river canyon cut out by the ancestral Tuolumne River. The water winds between granite features like Kolana Rock and Hetch Hetchy Dome. Spring and early summer bring wildflowers including lupine, wallflower, monkey flower, and buttercup. If the nation set aside some natural places as especially sacred, how far beyond their borders should a sense of the sacred extend? [21][33] Albert Bierstadt, Charles Dorman Robinson and William Keith were known for their landscapes that drew tourists to the Hetch Hetchy Valley. The report cited other dam projects in making the argument that this project would increase tourism. 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. We're not going to remove this dam, and the funding is unnecessary. Other trails also continue to Lake Vernon. [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. As John Clayton writes, At the height of Progressivism, Phelan and other good-government types believed that the city should administer its own utilities. Although there are relatively few visitors to Hetch Hetchy, youll find most of them along the trail to Wapama Fall. 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 . Monroe was a Chicago poet who joined Muir and others on their 1908 and 1909 outings to the valley. Then, in 1906, a devastating earthquake caused a series of fires in San Francisco that destroyed 25,000 buildings across 490 city blocks. 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. [42] They claimed the valley was not unique and would be even more beautiful with a lake. [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. The reservoir supplies water for the city of San Francisco, so there is no recreational boating or swimming allowed. First, they block rivers which prevents fish from migrating. Upcountry and the Bay Area. 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. This effort was famously and vociferously fought by John Muir and was the subject of a national debate for years; the loss later galvanized the Sierra Club to successfully oppose large dams in Dinosaur National Monument and Grand Canyon National Park. Hetch Hetchy water travels 160 miles via gravity from . Hetch Hetchy Valley is a treasure worth visiting. [54] The entire system produces about 1.7 billion kilowatt hours per year, enough to meet 20% of San Francisco's electricity needs. 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 Tuolumne River, the source of. Divide the class into four small groups. DWR also found that the planning studies necessary to refine the costs and benefits of restoration would cost $65 million alone. 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. For example, plan to stop at the Lucky Buck Cafe on your way to or from a day of exploring Yosemite. 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). 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). 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. Hetch Hetchy is on the main stem of the Tuolumne River and is part of the Tuolumne watershed. You could then scuba ElCapitan down to the valley floor. [50] The project is operated by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission. Most people turn around here anyway. . 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. In Yosemite National Park, the Hetch Hetchy reservoir relies on the annual snowmelt to stay full. This is a place considered by John Muir to be equal in beauty to Yose. You can expect one (short) email per month. "[32], In 1867, Charles F. Hoffman of the California Geological Survey conducted the first survey of the valley. It marks the first catchment in a 160-mile long water system that brings high quality, superb-tasting water to 2.6 million residents of the Bay Area every day. 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. Next to John Muir, the most vocal defender of the Hetch Hetchy Valley was Harriet Monroe. 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. [21] Periodic clearing of the valley provided ample space for the growth of the grasses and shrubs they relied on, as well as additional room for large game animals such as deer to browse. Earn $27.3125 per hour. The fundamental issue involved two concepts. And, as you might imagine, it produces some of the cleanest municipal water in the United States. [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. 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. And it is the largest single source of water supply for the Bay Area. All offers, including but not limited to, bonus amenities, upgrades, prices, and group benefits are based on select dates, resorts, room categories, and/or fare codes. 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. The water shunted through them about 218 million gallons a day arrives in most city taps by gravity alone. That trip is a 19.1-mile (22.9 km) out and back, or you can turn the hike into a loop that returns past Rancheria Falls (28.2 miles, 45.4 km). By 1908, a different Interior Secretary, James R. Garfield, sided with the utilitarian conservationists and issued a permit for the Hetch Hetchy project. Standing upon it will give you the chance to appreciate the sublimity of both nature and human achievement. 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. 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. California needed secure, reliable access to drinking water for their burgeoning populations. John Muir, the first president of the Sierra Club, condemned plans to build the dam, saying, "Dam Hetch Hetchy! No spam. 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. Seventeen species of bats inhabit the Hetch Hetchy area, including the largest North American bat, the western mastiff. ", "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. It has not been demonstrated that Hetch Hetchy is the only available source, but only that it might be the cheapest. Hetch Hetchy Valley was once home to a richly diverse ecosystem, surrounded by towering cliffs and waterfalls similar to those in neighboring Yosemite Valley. So visit Hetch Hetchy. Photo: Theresa Ho, Of course, the proposal was immediately opposed by environmentalists including the Sierra Club and John Muir. 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. Public disapproval nationwide with the Raker Act helped to bring about the creation of the National Park Service. O'Shaughnessey Dam Facts. San Francisco had its eyes on this water source early on and repeatedly tried to acquire water rights to the Tuolumne River. The Tuolumne River continues through Tuolumne Meadows and the associated park developments at an elevation of 8,600 feet. [3] Kolana Rock, at 5,772ft (1,759m), is a massive rock spire on the south side of the Hetch Hetchy Valley. Sign up for helpful guides, beautiful videos, and insider tips on the national parks. . It has two trailhead options. 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. RELATED: A Woman Started The Environmental Movement (Can It Continue?). Congress would decide the fate of the Hetchy Hetchy Valley. . 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. [28][29] About 1853, his brother, Joseph Screech (credited in some accounts for the original discovery of the valley)[27] blazed the first trail from Big Oak Flat, a mining camp near present-day Lake Don Pedro,[30] for 38mi (61km) northeast to Hetch Hetchy Valley. Controversy continues to swirl around the Hetch Hetchy Dam even now. They would light upon a man's blue shirt and turn it brown, and were voracious as mosquitoes would be. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. What one Secretary of the Interior giveth, another taketh away. The construction of the Hetch Hetchy Railroad took place from 1915 to 1918. 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. Richard Ballinger was a conservative who was one of the main characters who was responsible for the progressive-conservative split in the GOP in 1912 (leading to the creation of the Bull Moose party), which is the factor that determined the GOP would be on the right side of the political spectrum (and therefore ensuring the Democrats would be on the left side of the spectrum). In the foreground, the deep still water of Hetch Hetchy Reservoir reflects sunshine, clouds and the proud shadows of the surrounding mountains. [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. This time, in favor of those who wanted to build the dam. Hetch Hetchy, for the time being, was safe, and it would not be inundated during Roosevelts watch.. 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. 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. As well dam for water tanks the peoples cathedrals and churches, for no holier temple has ever been consecrated by the heart of man.'. A) 5 billion B . Monroe went on to lobby members of Congress as the battle moved to Washington D.C. She was a tireless advocate who believed that people needed to be educated in order to do what was best for everyone involved. 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. There is plenty to see and do right here, from kayaking on the water to climbing the magnificent domes above. Franklin Lane served as the attorney for the city of San Francisco in 1903. "[85] However, she does support breaching the dam once it has reached the end of its lifespan, and not replacing it. 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. The landscape painter Bierstadt, who brought his German Romantic training to the valley in 1862, gave the world an even larger portrait, and one in extravagant color, that photographers could not match on any scale. Some hydro-power dams withhold and then release water to generate power for peak demand periods, which is particularly disruptive to migrating fish. [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.