[20] They hunted, and gathered seeds and edible plants to furnish themselves winter food, trade items, and materials for art and ceremonial objects. "[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. 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. But tearing OShaughnessy Dam down now in order to restore Hetch Hetchy Valley would be a disaster. ", "Three Square Miles of Open Space: Is It Enough? Its a a wonderful place to see spring waterfalls and wildflower displays. 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.. Even if we could obtain the several billion dollars necessary to carry out this endeavor (neither private nor public sources have yet been identified) some of the tasks involved may not even be possible. [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. SF's Hetch Hetchy water system is almost full. Is that a good thing? We can't help it either. Smith Peak (7,751 feet) is the highest point in the area and offers outstanding views. Such new supplies are not guaranteed to have the low greenhouse gas emissions profile that Hetch Hetchy water and power do and they could worsen climate change while increasing our vulnerability to it. [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). They were both initially carved by rivers flowing down the Sierras relatively gentle western slope. while birds, bees, and butterflies help the river and waterfalls to stir all the air into music. It also was an early battle of conservatives vs progressives. Gravel, logs, and other important food and habitat features can become trapped. Richard Ballinger was appointed his Interior Secretary. Browers Hetch Hetchy: Undoing A Great American Mistake, makes a compelling case for restoring the valley to its previous glory. A national debate ensued between the preservationist and conservationist factions of the young environmental movement. Furthermore, they provided a place for the wild plants and creatures to live out their own lives, according to their purposes. As Muir famously protested: Dam 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. Off Deadline: Is 'Restore Hetch Hetchy' a pipe dream or a living vision [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. (Read SPURs analysis of this plan.) This reservoir on the Sacramento River has been planned for decades It is 13 miles from the Yosemite National Park border and twice as close to the park than the town of Groveland. 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. Some of these studies determined that the idea of draining the reservoir was technically feasible but incredibly costly. [13], Hetch Hetchy is home to a diverse array of plants and animals. Sign up for helpful guides, beautiful videos, and insider tips on the national parks. 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. ", "San Francisco-Hetch Hetchy Valley Connection", "Hetch Hetchy controversy: Could Yosemite's 'second valley' be restored? While opponents of the dam were hard pressed for financial support, the city of San Franciscos campaign was well financed. At SPUR, we have done a lot of work on climate change adaptation. 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. The Blackberry Inn Bed and Breakfast is just one of many welcoming businesses located on the way to Hetch Hetchy. 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. 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. Teams completed the OShaughnessy Dam in 1923 and the reservoir filled for the first time in May of that year. Mirror Lakes famous spring-time reflections capture the eye and mind. The O'Shaughnessy Dam and reservoir, and the series of aqueducts, tunnels, and tunnels as well as 8 other dams make up the entire Hetch Hetchy Project. His path roughly follows the John Muir Highway State Highway 132 that runs from Highway 49 in Coulterville up through Greeley Hill before connecting back into Highway 120 before Buck Meadows and the turn-off to Hetch Hetchy. Over the last 35 years, the idea has been studied by the Environmental Defense Fund, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the National Park Service, UC Davis, and several state agencies. Located at 3,900 feet, it boasts one of the longest hiking seasons in the park. Hetch Hetchy Valley is a treasure worth visiting. Hiking in Yosemite National Park | AAA Ohio The grassroots organization of environmental activism, established by John Muir and his supporters, became a model for future environmentalists. The dam is a small portion of the overall Tuolumne River/San Francisco storage system that benefits the Bay Area. Guests at these suites receive breakfast on their patios. In spite of Muirs eloquent and heated objections, the Raker Act was signed into law in December of 1913. DWR also found that the planning studies necessary to refine the costs and benefits of restoration would cost $65 million alone. Gray pine, incense-cedar, and California black oak grow in abundance. [85] 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. The Hetch Hetchy Dam in the Yosemite Valley, receives the bulk of it's water from the sierra snow pack miles above the reservoir. Yosemite's Secret Valley - Hetch Hetchy - YouTube 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. [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. The Great Alaskan Land Fraud and the Pinchot-Ballinger Controversy caused both Richard A. Ballinger and Gifford Pinchot to resign and be fired respectively. [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. Plus, they needed a way to bring supplies and workers into the mountains. 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. As well dam for water-tanks the peoples cathedrals and churches, for no holier temple has ever been consecrated by the heart of man.. This valley was isolated and remote, twenty miles northwest of the original. Environmentalists lost what was the opening battle in a fight to preserve Americas natural wonders. . On a national stage, Hetch Hetchy became caught in the cross fire between the interests of private utilities ownership and those of municipal ownership. Hetch Hetchy is dammed by the 430-foot-tall OShaughnessy Dam and has a storage capacity of 360,360 acre-feet. Earn $27.3125 per hour. San Francisco Hetch Hetchy Dam Almost Failed and Could - Breitbart Klamath Dam Removal Applauded by Newsom, Haaland et al., How About What part should mountains, rivers, natural meadows or wild creatures play in American life? Study with Quizlet and memorize flashcards containing terms like The 1987 UN Commission on Sustainability first introduced the concept of ________ as a necessary focus for maintaining sustainability. Call 209-372-0200 for the latest road and weather conditions, Hetch Hetchy Road Daily Hours: 8 am to 5 pm. Progressive political leaders, of whom Mayor Phelan was one, believed it was time to take this power away from the private interests and turn it over to the people. The idea of punching a hole in or removing the dam and allowing the valley to be restored to its pre-development conditions has been around since the late 1980s. [2] The dam contains 675,000cuyd (516,000m3) of concrete. [61] In 2018, the Department of the Interior of the Trump administration began to consider a proposal to allow limited boating on the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir for the first time, supported by the advocacy group Restore Hetch Hetchy which argued that "San Francisco received [Hetch Hetchy's] benefits long ago, but the American people have not. Day 6: Hetch Hetchy Reservoir to San Francisco. It is the primary water source for about 2.5 million residents of the San Francisco Bay Area. Upcountry and the Bay Area. . Pinchot was Americas Forester. He served as the first head of the United States Forest Service. [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. The SFPUC tests its quality more than 100,000 times a year to ensure that it exceeds all safe drinking water standards. San Francisco Hetch Hetchy Reservoir Initiative, Proposition F Subsequent proposals for development in our national parks have been defeated by citizen activists inspired by calls to remember Hetch Hetchy. [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. Then it travels through a series of mountain tunnels. Wapama and Rancheria Falls Looking up at Wapama Falls from the footbridge on the hiking trail. 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. 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. Photo: Kim Lawson. O'Shaughnessy Dam is a 430-foot (131 m) high concrete arch-gravity dam in Tuolumne County, California, United States.It impounds the Tuolumne River, forming the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir at the lower end of Hetch Hetchy Valley in Yosemite National Park, about 160 miles (260 km) east of San Francisco. 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. This trail is 13 miles round-trip with 3,700 feet elevation gain. Shasta, Oroville, Hetch Hetchy and many others were built by damming large rivers. 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. There have been lawsuits over whether San Francisco violated the agreements of the Raker Act. The Poopenaut Trail begins at a signed trailhead four miles past the entrance station. Friday, enjoy an evening about bats starting at 7 pm. The battle for Hetch Hetchy wasnt just conservationists vs preservationists. 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. And it is the largest single source of water supply for the Bay Area. [50] The removal of the dam would be extremely costly, at least $310 billion,[76] and the transport of the demolished material away from the dam site along the narrow, winding Hetch Hetchy Road would be a logistical nightmare with possible environmental impacts. [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. 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. 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. Environment Quiz 1 Chapters 1-3 Flashcards | Quizlet He was a firm believer in utilitarian conservation. Although there are relatively few visitors to Hetch Hetchy, youll find most of them along the trail to Wapama Fall. It has not been demonstrated that Hetch Hetchy is the only available source, but only that it might be the cheapest. Within 50 years, vegetative cover would be complete except for exposed rocky areas. Bierstadt described the valley as "smaller than the more famous valley but it presents many of the same features in his scenery and is quite as beautiful. The other route begins at the entrance station and is 16 miles round-trip with 3,300 feet of elevation gain. [17] The valley's abundant plants provided nourishment for mule deer, black bears and bighorn sheep. You could miss this small mountain community if you blink at the wrong time, but it is home to a few remarkable small businesses. We have historic photographs to remind us of what Hetch Hetchy Valley looked like before the dam was built.
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