benefits of hetch hetchy dam

A bigger population will increase demand, meanwhile climate change could significantly reduce supply through drought and hydrological cycle changes. [citation needed] The George W. Bush administration proposed allocating $7 million to studying the removal of the dam in the 2007 National Park Service budget. Friday, enjoy an evening about bats starting at 7 pm. Environmentalists lost what was the opening battle in a fight to preserve Americas natural wonders. The exploitation of Californias natural resources continued unabated in the years leading up to Hetch Hetchy. 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 . 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. Once again, the political pendulum would swing. 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. 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. The upcountry portion of the System begins with Hetch Hetchy Reservoir in Yosemite National Park. Park entry (as needed). (In fact partially because it is so difficult and destructive to build large dams, we are running out of new supplies of water in California.) But what about when the lake dries? But if you still have energy, continue past the bridge to Rancheria Falls. Should nature be left alone so that flora and fauna flourish while people enjoy its primal wonders? The battle for Hetch Hetchy wasnt just conservationists vs preservationists. 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. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. You can expect one (short) email per month. It is part of our More than Just Parks Environmental Heroes series. Monroe was a Chicago poet who joined Muir and others on their 1908 and 1909 outings to the valley. As well dam for water-tanks the people's cathedrals and churches, for no holier temple has ever been . Youll just need to see them for yourself. It's a big job to open the tunnel and close it again. We can't help it either. In 1913, Woodrow Wilson appointed Lane his Secretary of the Interior. 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. 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. 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.. But Hetch Hetchy, one of nature's perfect . 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. In the northwest corner of Yosemite National Park you can find the Hetch Hetchy Valley. 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. Hidden in Yosemite National Parks peaceful northwest corner, Hetch Hetchy Valley is a treasure worth visiting in all seasons. A) 5 billion B . 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. As the Hetch Hetchy Valley was part of Yosemite National Park, Hitchcock preferred to protect the parks natural wonders. Even before it was finished, the massive . The glacially-carved U-shaped valley floor maximizes the amount of water stored in the reservoir. Dam the Hetch Hetchy! Finally, in 1988, a third generator was added to the Kirkwood Powerhouse. Restore Hetch Hetchy and the Environmental Defense Funds own studies support a lower cost estimate, ranging from $1 billion to $2 billion. The proposed ballot measure calls for the creation of a task force that would spend $8 million to develop a long-term plan for improving water quality and reliability, remediating environmental damages caused by the water supply system, and identifying new water and renewable energy supplies so that Hetch Hetchy Valley could be returned to the National Park Service. 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). 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. As a result, San Francisco secured a reliable and . Use good judgment and stay safe. This limits their ability to access spawning habitat, seek out food resources, and escape predation. [16], Compared with Yosemite Valley, the walls of Hetch Hetchy are smoother and rounder because it was glaciated to a greater extent. People have died after being swept off the bridge and onto the rocks below. 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. On a national stage, Hetch Hetchy became caught in the cross fire between the interests of private utilities ownership and those of municipal ownership. As the Hetch Hetchy Valley was part of Yosemite National Park, Hitchcock preferred to protect the park's natural wonders. Utilizing its superior resources, the city produced a detailed report which made a compelling case that, far from damaging the beauty of Yosemite, the dam would actually enhance it. Browers Hetch Hetchy: Undoing A Great American Mistake, makes a compelling case for restoring the valley to its previous glory. Photo: Kim Lawson. [8], Meadow plants unavailable in the lowlands were particularly valuable resources to these tribes. Activity 1: Analysis. 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. [5] Chief Tenaya of the Yosemite Valley's Ahwaneechee tribe claimed that Hetch Hetchy was Miwok for "Valley of the Two Trees", referring to a pair of yellow pines that once stood at the head of Hetch Hetchy. In some cases, however, including the Klamath and Hetch Hetchy, the benefits of restoration clearly outweigh the benefits provided by the dams. As surely as forests provided timber, so did they provide beauty, inspiration, and the renewal of over-citified spirits. While opponents of the dam were hard pressed for financial support, the city of San Franciscos campaign was well financed. Dianne Feinstein, the mayor of San Francisco at the time, said in a Los Angeles Times story in 1987: "All this is for an expanded campground? 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). Learn what to expect from Mirror Lake in various seasons. 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. Due to extreme winter weather, Yosemite National Park is closed with no estimated date of reopening. "[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. Could you imagine building a dam inside a national park today? It forced elected representatives to consider what a national park designation truly meant and whether or not the land within these parks deserved protection. 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 Road drops into the valley at the dam, but all points east of there are roadless, and accessible only to hikers and equestrians. These benefits include: Reservoir-based recreation - swimming, fishing, camping etc. San Francisco applied once again for rights to Hetch Hetchy in 1908. ", "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. 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. 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. [82] Dianne Feinstein opposed this allocation, saying, "I will do all I can to make sure it isn't included in the final bill. In this unmanaged scenario, where nature is left to take hold in the valley, eventually a forest would grow, rather than the meadow being restored. The spacious rooms include access to a heated swimming pool, spa, playground, and laundry facilities. 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. [8], While its cousin Yosemite Valley to the south had permanent Miwok settlements,[25] Hetch Hetchy was only seasonally inhabited. The most prominent preservationist spokesman was John Muir.. Pinchot was recognized as a leader of the conservation movement. The Tuolumne River originates in the peaks above Tuolumne Meadows and is the major drainage system for the northern part of Yosemite. 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. The gently rolling terrain has excellent views of the water and eye-catching Kolana Rock, which towers roughly 2,000 feet above. The National Park Service conducted research to determine what would happen if the dam were removed, and people have repeatedly proposed costly studies to further understand the consequences of removing the dam. The construction of the Hetch Hetchy Railroad took place from 1915 to 1918. In Yosemite National Park, the Hetch Hetchy reservoir relies on the annual snowmelt to stay full. 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. [8] Rancheria Falls is located farther southeast, on Rancheria Creek. A national debate ensued between the preservationist and conservationist factions of the young environmental movement. As a consequence, visitors came to experience it for themselves. Expect delicious meals and hearty portions to fuel your adventure or beat that post-hiking hunger. 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. DWR also found that the planning studies necessary to refine the costs and benefits of restoration would cost $65 million alone. This time it was in favor those who wanted to preserve the valley for generations yet to come. Pinchot argued that applying the principle of the greatest good for the greatest number, meant the benefits accrued to the people of San Francisco from having the dam far outweighed leaving the valley in its current state. In 2019, Restore Hetch Hetchy commissioned another study that found enormous recreational value from removing the dam. They suggest that draining the reservoir and turning Hetch Hetchy Valley into a tourist center similar to Yosemite Valley could be worth up to $178 million per year. [2] But Hetch Hetchy was a federally protected as part of Yosemite National Park. Within 50 years, vegetative cover would be complete except for exposed rocky areas. This can be very disorienting to fish and disrupt their migrations as they depend on steady streams and flows to guide them. Principally, dam removal on the Klamath will require annual replacement of 696 gigawatt hours of electricity by other means. Even in the summer when Yosemite Valley is being explored by visitors from around the world, Hetch Hetchy remains an oasis of relative calm. The . Hetch Hetchy Valley is a treasure worth visiting. . The reservoir is eight miles long and the largest single body of water in Yosemite. Hetch Hetchy, for the time being, was safe, and it would not be inundated during Roosevelts watch.. In 2007, in approving the environmental impact report for the Water System Improvement Program an investment of more than $4 billion to shore up the seismic reliability of the Hetch Hetchy water system the SFPUC gave itself, and its wholesale customers on the peninsula, ten years to develop a plan that would identify reliable alternative sources of water to meet the regions future growth in demand, rather than diverting more water from the Tuolumne River. On this point we hold that while we are willing to die for the lives or the health of the citizens of San Francisco, we are not willing to die for their pockets. 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. Us too! [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.

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