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. Within three years, Congress had passed the Organic Act, formally defining the parks and creating a new federal agency, the National Park Service, with a mission: to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wild life therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.. [50] The project is operated by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission. Like Muir, he was totally transfixed by the Hetch Hetchy Valley. The surface of the water hides an additional 300 feet of granite cliffs and once-upon-a-time waterfalls within its depths. Hetch Hetchy and Yosemite Valley are so similar because they were created by the same sequences of geological activity. remains the least visited area of the park. Yes, the plan to drain Hetch Hetchy involves causing new ecological damage. For your last day, enjoy a short hike on the shores of the beautiful Hetch Hetchy Reservoir. I will agree to take down Hetch Hetchy, when we first replace it with a bigger new reservoir such as a bigger taller Yosemite Valley dam at El Capitan. View of the OShaughnessy Dam and the Hetchy Hetchy Road and parking. The upcountry portion of the System begins with Hetch Hetchy Reservoir in Yosemite National Park. This can lead to algal blooms and decreased oxygen levels. SPUR wholeheartedly agrees that planning for water quality and reliability is important. The dam was then 227 feet (69m) high; its present height of 312 feet (95m) was achieved only later, in 1938. 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. [21][33] Albert Bierstadt, Charles Dorman Robinson and William Keith were known for their landscapes that drew tourists to the Hetch Hetchy Valley. These clean and comfortable rooms also enjoy access to the pool, spa and other facilities at Yosemite Westgate Lodge. In November 2012, San Francisco voters soundly rejected Proposition F,[86] which would have required the city to conduct an $8 million study on how the flooded valley could be drained and restored to its former state. That reservoir is New Don Pedro, and it rests over existing pipelines to the Bay Area. People have died after being swept off the bridge and onto the rocks below. 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. 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). The second concept is preservation. . [2] From Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, the water flows through the Canyon and Mountain Tunnels to Kirkwood and Moccasin Powerhouses, which have capacities of 124 and 110 megawatts, respectively. More Than Just Parks | National Parks Guides. 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. While John Muir led the fight against building the dam, the opposition was supported by Gifford Pinchot. Note: you may use the handout or navigate to our feature on the Hetch Hetchy Environmental Debates to access the overview and copy of the Raker Bill. When changes are made there are unintended consequences. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This is interesting from an ideological perspective. Muir and other defenders of Hetch Hetchy believe the fight revolved around two central issues. Pinchot was recognized as a leader of the conservation movement. The valley provided an escape from the summer heat of the lowlands. The proposed study would also have been required to identify potential replacements for the water storage capacity and hydroelectric power production.[87][88]. OShaughnessy Dam and the waterworks that connect it to the Bay Area are a marvel of engineering. Hetch Hetchy, located at 3,900 feet in Yosemite National Park, is one of the park's most popular hiking . Friday, enjoy an evening about bats starting at 7 pm. If you delight in getting off the well-beaten path, or if you are looking for a peaceful natural retreat, its perfection. According to a local legend, Nate spotted a valley to the east that was too far to visit. Like Muir, she felt the beauty of the valley was a national treasure which ought to be preserved. 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. [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. You could then scuba ElCapitan down to the valley floor. [51][52] The aqueduct delivers an average of 265,000acreft (327,000,000m3) of water each year, or 31,900,000cuft (900,000m3) per day, to residents of San Francisco and San Mateo, Santa Clara and Alameda Counties. But during peak spring flow, the thundering waterfall can wash over the bridge making it dangerous to cross. And today there is even an organization, Restore Hetch Hetchy, which is committed to doing just that. California O Shaughnessy Dam Analysis 1428 Words | 6 Pages. Building the Hetch Hetchy dam in such a remote location was an enormous project. [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. 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). He produced at least four oil paintings of the valley one of which is prominently displayed in Mount Holyoke Colleges art museum. 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. As Muir famously protested: Dam Hetch Hetchy? Building the Dam. The same features that make Hetch Hetchy Valley so spectacular also make it an ideal location for a dam. Photo: Herbert W. Gleason courtesy of the Sierra Club. In 1913, Woodrow Wilson appointed Lane his Secretary of the Interior. In 2019, Restore Hetch Hetchy commissioned another study that found enormous recreational value from removing the dam. 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. 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 SFPUC tests its quality more than 100,000 times a year to ensure that it exceeds all safe drinking water standards. The Dam flooded about nine miles of the river, including the Hetch Hetchy valley. 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 Stand on OShaughnessy Dam and feel the cool updraft. Owned by the city of San Francisco, Hetch Hetchy Reservoir provides water to 2.7 million residents and businesses in the San Francisco Bay Area. The Great Alaskan Land Fraud and the Pinchot-Ballinger Controversy caused both Richard A. Ballinger and Gifford Pinchot to resign and be fired respectively. But Hetch Hetchy, one of nature's perfect . Call 209-372-0200 for the latest road and weather conditions, Hetch Hetchy Road Daily Hours: 8 am to 5 pm. While youre at it, plan to add to the historic flavor of this route with a stop the Northern Mariposa County History Center. Second, dams slow rivers. [73] Furthermore, the removal of O'Shaughnessy Dam would not require costly sediment control measures, as would be typical on most dam removal projects, because of the high quality of the Tuolumne River water in the first 90 years since its construction, only around 2in (5.1cm) of sediment had been deposited in Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, much less than most other dams. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. This valley was isolated and remote, twenty miles northwest of the original. The report cited other dam projects in making the argument that this project would increase tourism. In the northwest corner of Yosemite National Park you can find the Hetch Hetchy Valley. There, he met the same Indian chief and his wives. Download the official NPS app before your next visit. [20] They hunted, and gathered seeds and edible plants to furnish themselves winter food, trade items, and materials for art and ceremonial objects. 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. The main power facility in the system, the Moccasin Powerhouse, began commercial operation on August 14, 1925. Controversy continues to swirl around the Hetch Hetchy Dam even now. [8], Meadow plants unavailable in the lowlands were particularly valuable resources to these tribes. He discovered it a few of years later. The chief replied, There is no valley. This strenuous 2.5-mile, round-trip hike to the Tuolumne River has 1,229 feet of elevation gain. During summer, people of the Miwok and Paiute came to Hetch Hetchy from the Central Valley in the west and the Great Basin in the east. But Sites would be what's called an off-channel reservoir, built away from the river. "[34], When Yosemite Valley became part of a state park in 1864, Hetch Hetchy received no such designation. Had it been, the Sierra Clubs members would have presented a united front in opposition to its development. In the autumn of 1871, John Muir visited Hetch Hetchy for the first time. For most of the year the waterfall offers a refreshing shower or cooling mist along with an amazing view. Monroe was a Chicago poet who joined Muir and others on their 1908 and 1909 outings to the valley. 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. [54][55], After passing through the powerhouses, Hetch Hetchy water flows into the 167mi (269km) Hetch Hetchy Aqueduct which travels across the Central Valley. Next to John Muir, the most vocal defender of the Hetch Hetchy Valley was Harriet Monroe. In: Educational Resources, History, National Parks, Your email address will not be published. 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. What should be the fate of prairies, wetlands, or coastal marshes? For functional purposes, Hetch Hetchy was a promising solution to San Francisco's serious water shortages. 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. 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. [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 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. There is plenty to see and do right here, from kayaking on the water to climbing the magnificent domes above. [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". . For John Muir, it was about preserving a natural wonder which could be enjoyed by generations to come. Hetch Hetchy ushered in a new era for the national parks. The water shunted through them about 218 million gallons a day arrives in most city taps by gravity alone. 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 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. 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 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. John Muir knew that without public support, the Hetch Hetchy Valley would be lost. 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. benefits of hetch hetchy dam. [56] All four pipelines cross the Hayward fault. "[32], In 1867, Charles F. Hoffman of the California Geological Survey conducted the first survey of the valley. [citation needed], The Hetch Hetchy Valley began as a V-shaped river canyon cut out by the ancestral Tuolumne River. Muir famously said, Dam Hetch Hetchy! 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. 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. Hetch Hetchy is on the main stem of the Tuolumne River and is part of the Tuolumne watershed. 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. Within the ranks of the Sierra Club, there was a split between those San Francisco members who favored the dams municipal use versus those who believed this pristine area should not be tampered with under any circumstances. Instead, it was a more complicated battle which pitted public interests against private interests. The glacial Hetch Hetchy Valley lies in the northwestern part of Yosemite National Park and is drained by the Tuolumne River. So visit Hetch Hetchy. At the time, neither side understood the long-range consequences of human actions to manage the environment. It spans 900 feet (270 m) with a 17-foot (5.2 m) wide trail across the top that hikers use to cross to the opposite side. In the Bay Area, Hetch Hetchy water is stored in local facilities including Calaveras Reservoir, Crystal Springs Reservoir, and San Antonio Reservoir. The construction of the Hetch Hetchy Railroad took place from 1915 to 1918. Just before reaching the Bay Area, it passes through the Irvington tunnel near the city of Fremont, and the aqueduct splits into four pipelines at 373253N 1215555W / 37.548104N 121.932041W / 37.548104; -121.932041. 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. Copyright © 2023 More Than Just Parks | This post may contain affiliate links - read our Standards, Corrections, & Privacy Policy. . This is because the Tuolumne catchment basin above Hetch Hetchy is almost three times as large as the catchment area of the Merced River above Yosemite, allowing a greater volume of ice to form. . DWR also found that the planning studies necessary to refine the costs and benefits of restoration would cost $65 million alone. After Hetch Hetchy, many realized the National Parks needed more protection. Expect delicious meals and hearty portions to fuel your adventure or beat that post-hiking hunger. But what about when the lake dries? [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. "[61][62], The battle over Hetch Hetchy Valley continues today[when?] The new. [4] A broad, low rocky outcrop situated between Kolana Rock and Hetch Hetchy Dome divided the former meadow in two distinct sections. The falls roar in spring and early summer. Most people called it Hetch Hetchy, a mispronunciation of a Central Mohawk word for a plant that indigenous people were harvesting there when the first white man came along.. Photo: Kim Lawson. [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.
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