Photo: Kim Lawson. 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. Get SPUR news and events delivered straight to your email inbox. 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. [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. 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 . Even a short stroll from the car gives a magnificent view of the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir from the OShaughnessy Dam. California needed secure, reliable access to drinking water for their burgeoning populations. To visit the waterfalls or Yosemites northern backcountry, you walk across OShaughnessy Dam. The law authorizing the dam passed Congress on December 7, 1913. The inadequacy of the citys existing water supply came into sharp focus. (Read SPURs analysis of this plan.) 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. Your email address will not be published. Being one of the biggest hydroelectric facilities in the United States and a National Landmark, Hoover Dam generates power to serve more than 1.3 million people. Eighty-five percent of the water comes from Sierra Nevada snowmelt stored in the Hetch Hetchy reservoir situated on the Tuolumne River in Yosemite National Park. Franklin Lane served as the attorney for the city of San Francisco in 1903. Rounding the corner and catching the first glimpses of Hetch Hetchy Valley reveals the play of light on water. O'Shaughnessey Dam Facts. The reservoir is fed by the Tuolumne River. Native American cultures were prominent before the 1850s when the first settlers from the United States arrived in the Sierra Nevada. The water winds between granite features like Kolana Rock and Hetch Hetchy Dome. [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). document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This is interesting from an ideological perspective. [21] Miwok names are still used for features, including Tueeulala Fall, Wapama Fall, and Kolana Rock. Albert Bierstadt was known for his sweeping landscapes of the American West. For your last day, enjoy a short hike on the shores of the beautiful Hetch Hetchy Reservoir. John Muir knew that without public support, the Hetch Hetchy Valley would be lost. Hetch Hetchy ushered in a new era for the national parks. There is plenty to see and do right here, from kayaking on the water to climbing the magnificent domes above. Assign each group to analyze one or more . 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. And, as you might imagine, it produces some of the cleanest municipal water in the United States. 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. 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. benefits of hetch hetchy dam. Other trails also continue to Lake Vernon. 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. Related. [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. Most people turn around here anyway. In Yosemite National Park, the Hetch Hetchy reservoir relies on the annual snowmelt to stay full. The Hetch Hetchy Reservoir itself store 85% of the City's overall drinking water supply, the remaining 15% is stored in the system's 5 other reservoirs. It's a big job to open the tunnel and close it again. 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. Residents drink it in 26 cities and water districts from San. In contrast to the utilitarian view, the preservationist approach denied the assumption that the natural world existed solely to serve mans purposes. The dam was then 227 feet (69m) high; its present height of 312 feet (95m) was achieved only later, in 1938. 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. Hetch Hetchy and many others were built by . "[85] However, she does support breaching the dam once it has reached the end of its lifespan, and not replacing it. John Muir, the first president of the Sierra Club, condemned plans to build the dam, saying, "Dam Hetch Hetchy! First, they block rivers which prevents fish from migrating. Should nature be left alone so that flora and fauna flourish while people enjoy its primal wonders? Put another way, if Congress denied the city of San Francisco the Hetch Hetchy Valley, the California Progressive leaders suspected that it would only be a matter of time before the emerging Pacific Gas and Electric Company would grab the area. For thousands of years, Native Americans subjected the valley to controlled bushfires, which prevented forest from taking over the valley meadows. Including additions made between 1934 and 1938, the dam currently stands 430 feet (131 m) above the bedrock below. Dam the Hetch Hetchy! After Hetch Hetchy, many realized the National Parks needed more protection. But what about when the lake dries? Photo: Theresa Ho, Of course, the proposal was immediately opposed by environmentalists including the Sierra Club and John Muir. Gray pine, incense-cedar, and California black oak grow in abundance. So the idea of planning for new water supplies need not be on the ballot. 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. 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. Not to be outdone by Los Angeles, San Francisco had a greater feat in mind: dam the Hetch Hetchy Valley in Yosemite National Park and pipe the water into San Francisco. She says the water first leaves Hetch Hetchy through the O'Shaughnessy Dam. 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. The Hetch Hetchy Valley was within Yosemite National Park and protected by the federal government, leaving it up to Congress to decide the valley's fate. As well dam for water tanks the peoples cathedrals and churches, for no holier temple has ever been consecrated by the heart of man.'. Photo: Chris Migeon. 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. The Hetch Hetchy Dam is destroying a piece of land that is the homes of multiple types of animals. 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. [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. 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. 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. 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. Slow down and spend the day at Tenaya Lake a beautiful and easy-to-get-to alpine lake cupped by granite domes. Her poetic descriptions of Hetch hetchy won her the attention of powerful members of Congress. It is the primary water source for about 2.5 million residents of the San Francisco Bay Area. Enjoy elegant touches like wrap-around porches, and fresh-baked cookies served daily. The falls roar in spring and early summer. California O Shaughnessy Dam Analysis 1428 Words | 6 Pages. Copyright © 2023 More Than Just Parks | This post may contain affiliate links - read our Standards, Corrections, & Privacy Policy. [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. It would be almost impossible to build a new dam there today. Start by hiking across the OShaughnessy Dam then turn east along the shore of the reservoir. The OShaughnessy Dam was completed in 1938 and is 430-feet tall. 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 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. There is no Starbucks here no daily parade of tour buses and RVs. 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 The chief replied, There is no valley. Another popular trail crosses the OShaughnessy Dam and then takes a left turn to climb steeply out of the Hetch Hetchy valley. A full breakfast is served in the dining room. can you smoke on royal caribbean cruise ships benefits of hetch hetchy dam. 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. Muir and other defenders of Hetch Hetchy believe the fight revolved around two central issues. Before damming, the high granite formations produced a valley with an average depth of 1,800ft (550m) and a maximum depth of over 3,000ft (910m); the length of the valley was 3mi (4.8km) with a width ranging from .mw-parser-output .frac{white-space:nowrap}.mw-parser-output .frac .num,.mw-parser-output .frac .den{font-size:80%;line-height:0;vertical-align:super}.mw-parser-output .frac .den{vertical-align:sub}.mw-parser-output .sr-only{border:0;clip:rect(0,0,0,0);height:1px;margin:-1px;overflow:hidden;padding:0;position:absolute;width:1px}18 to 12 mile (660 to 2,640ft; 200 to 800m). He discovered it a few of years later. Shasta, Oroville, Hetch Hetchy and many others were built by damming large rivers. 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. The Tuolumne River, the source of. Hetch Hetchy, located at 3,900 feet in Yosemite National Park, is one of the park's most popular hiking . The city must pay a lease of $30,000 per year for the use of Hetch Hetchy, which sits on federal land. This fight set the stage for future battles between those who believed natural resources were to be used for the greatest good versus those who believed natural resources were to be preserved for the greatest enjoyment. 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. And today there is even an organization, Restore Hetch Hetchy, which is committed to doing just that. 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. [8], Meadow plants unavailable in the lowlands were particularly valuable resources to these tribes. The Poopenaut Trail begins at a signed trailhead four miles past the entrance station. Furthermore, they provided a place for the wild plants and creatures to live out their own lives, according to their purposes. As John Clayton writes, At the height of Progressivism, Phelan and other good-government types believed that the city should administer its own utilities. Plus, the granite walls converge into a narrow outlet at the bottom of the valley the perfect location for a dam. This ballot measure is so problematic that SPUR has taken early action to oppose it. 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. These clean and comfortable rooms also enjoy access to the pool, spa and other facilities at Yosemite Westgate Lodge. As well dam for water-tanks the peoples cathedrals and churches, for no holier temple has ever been consecrated by the heart of man.. [54] An additional hydroelectric system comprising Cherry Lake, Lake Eleanor and the Holm Powerhouse is also part of the Hetch Hetchy Project, adding another 169 megawatts of generating capacity. Download the official NPS app before your next visit. There is a third concept, too, though it was little understood at the time. Hetch Hetchy, for the time being, was safe, and it would not be inundated during Roosevelts watch.. Here are just some of the hurdles we would need to cross: Identify water supplies to meet about 18 percent of the regions water demand in dry years (which occur about 20 percent of the time), Permit and build 40 to 90 megawatts of renewable power to supply almost all municipal demand in San Francisco, Build and operate a water-filtration plant, because water stored further downstream than Hetch Hetchy will have to be filtered, Engineer and design a series of expensive and complicated infrastructure projects to re-engineer major components of the regional water system, then get those changes through the environmental review process, Somehow convince senior water-right holders like the Modesto and Turlock Irrigation Districts on the Tuolumne River to let us store our drinking water in their reservoirs. . The Dam flooded about nine miles of the river, including the Hetch Hetchy valley. While the dialogue around the West's water wars has been concentrated on the Colorado River and the alarming decline of Lake Powell and Lake Mead, watersheds across the Western United States are feeling the effects of a rapidly aridifying landscape due to climate change.

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