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. 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). Hetch Hetchy, for the time being, was safe, and it would not be inundated during Roosevelts watch.. He produced at least four oil paintings of the valley one of which is prominently displayed in Mount Holyoke Colleges art museum. They were both initially carved by rivers flowing down the Sierras relatively gentle western slope. Gifford Pinchot: A 2021 Lesson From Americas First Forester, Meet The Real Life Batman & Robin Of The National Parks, Natural Rivals: John Muir, Gifford Pinchot, and the Creation of Americas Public Lands, Gifford Pinchot and the Making of Modern Environmentalism, Son of the Wilderness: The Life of John Muir, General Sherman Tree: Everything You Need to Know About The Largest Tree in the World, 11 BEST National Parks Near San Francisco to Visit (Expert Guide), 7 EPIC National Parks Near Santa Ana Youll Love (Photos + Guide). The law authorizing the dam passed Congress on December 7, 1913. This can be very disorienting to fish and disrupt their migrations as they depend on steady streams and flows to guide them. Looking up at Wapama Falls from the footbridge on the hiking trail. [49], The narrow defile at the lower end of Hetch Hetchy Valley where San Francisco planned to dam the Tuolumne River, seen in 1914 before construction began, The same area seen today, with O'Shaughnessy Dam and Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, Hetch Hetchy Valley serves as the primary water source for the City and County of San Francisco and several surrounding municipalities in the greater San Francisco Bay Area. [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. 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. An adjacent building contains another five suites with vaulted ceilings, forest views and soaking tubs. The O'Shaughnessy Dam is near Yosemite's western boundary, but the long, narrow, fingerlike reservoir stretches eastward for about 8 miles (13 km). 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. 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 Spring snowmelt runs down the Tuolumne River and fills Hetch Hetchy, the largest reservoir in our water system. Start by hiking across the OShaughnessy Dam then turn east along the shore of the reservoir. Photo: Herbert W. Gleason courtesy of the Sierra Club. Those who did visit it were enchanted by its scenery, but encountered difficulties with the primitive conditions and, in summertime, swarms of mosquitoes. A national debate ensued between the preservationist and conservationist factions of the young environmental movement. You could miss this small mountain community if you blink at the wrong time, but it is home to a few remarkable small businesses. A recent report evaluates the economic benefits of restoring Hetch Hetchy Valley. [42] They claimed the valley was not unique and would be even more beautiful with a lake. 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. The reservoir is eight miles long and the largest single body of water in Yosemite. A full breakfast is served in the dining room. San Francisco could flood the valley and work began the following year. Guests at these suites receive breakfast on their patios. The Hetch Hetchy Valley is about 8 miles (13 km) from Yosemite Valley. 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. Have you been to Hetch Hetchy Reservoir in Yosemite? In some cases, however, including the Klamath and Hetch Hetchy, the benefits of restoration clearly outweigh the benefits provided by the dams. Hetch Hetchy Water and Power also wants to remove the giant bulkhead that seals up the tunnel with 40 nuts and bolts, Ritchie said. The valley provided an escape from the summer heat of the lowlands. On returning home, he asked an Indian chief the name of the valley. Earn $27.3125 per hour. After Hetch Hetchy, many realized the National Parks needed more protection. The main power facility in the system, the Moccasin Powerhouse, began commercial operation on August 14, 1925. Muir famously said, Dam Hetch Hetchy! So the idea of planning for new water supplies need not be on the ballot. The exploitation of Californias natural resources continued unabated in the years leading up to Hetch Hetchy. Subsequent proposals for development in our national parks have been defeated by citizen activists inspired by calls to remember Hetch Hetchy. It involved the unintended consequences of efforts to shape the environment to meet human needs. 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 Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, which lies within the Yosemite National Park, supplies 85% of the water needs of San Francisco and surrounding counties. You can expect one (short) email per month. . The trail continues to climb for 1.8 miles (2.8 km) above the trail intersection, but you can turn around any time. As Muir famously protested: Dam Hetch Hetchy? 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. DWRs meta-study found a range of costs from $3 billion to $10 billion for restoration and replacement of water and power sources. [citation needed], The Hetch Hetchy Valley began as a V-shaped river canyon cut out by the ancestral Tuolumne River. Once again, the political pendulum would swing. It forced elected representatives to consider what a national park designation truly meant and whether or not the land within these parks deserved protection. 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. That's about twice the amount of power lost when Hetch Hetchy will be restored. To visit the waterfalls or Yosemites northern backcountry, you walk across OShaughnessy Dam. Secretary of the Interior, Ethan Allen Hitchcock, refused to give San Francisco a permit to build the dam. 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. Upcountry and the Bay Area. By 1908, a different Interior Secretary, James R. Garfield, sided with the utilitarian conservationists and issued a permit for the Hetch Hetchy project. [85] It's dumb, dumb, dumb. As the Hetch Hetchy Valley was part of Yosemite National Park, Hitchcock preferred to protect the parks natural wonders. [24] It is likely that the edible grass was blue dicks. The Hetch Hetchy watershed, an area located in Yosemite National Park, is the major source of water for all of San Francisco's water needs. Two additional reservoirs in the Hetch Hetchy RegionLake Eleanor and Lake Lloyd (also RELATED: A Woman Started The Environmental Movement (Can It Continue?). [8] Rancheria Falls is located farther southeast, on Rancheria Creek. 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. Hetch Hetchy's restoration, after all, will benefit national . The reservoir provides water to a large portion of the Bay Area through a 160 mile delivery. [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. Once again, the political pendulum had swung. Hetch Hetchy ushered in a new era for the national parks. During the late 19th century, the valley was renowned for its natural beauty often compared to that of Yosemite Valley but also targeted for the development of water supply for irrigation and municipal interests. In 1923, the O'Shaughnessy Dam was completed on the Tuolumne River, flooding the entire valley under the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir. Dam Hetch Hetchy! There is plenty to see and do right here, from kayaking on the water to climbing the magnificent domes above. O'Shaughnessey Dam Facts. As well dam for . . Historians of the American conservation movement regard Pinchot as the foremost exemplar of the utilitarian approach to conservation, according to which man has a right to use natural resources, but also an obligation to use them wisely and efficientlyor as the classic criterion put it, the greatest good for the greatest number over the long run. As applied to forests and espoused by Pinchot, this meant that the nations forest reserves ought not to be maintained as inviolate sanctuaries, but opened to enlightened management.. Most people turn around here anyway. 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. The deciding factor was whether or not the land in question had access to water. People have died after being swept off the bridge and onto the rocks below. What part should mountains, rivers, natural meadows or wild creatures play in American life? According to a local legend, Nate spotted a valley to the east that was too far to visit. Instead, the magnificence of a valley often described as Yosemite Valleys slightly smaller twin takes center stage. 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. When changes are made there are unintended consequences. We can't help it either. And today there is even an organization, Restore Hetch Hetchy, which is committed to doing just that. From this work, we have concluded that it is not wise to reduce water storage facilities considering the realities of a growing population and climate change. For functional purposes, Hetch Hetchy was a promising solution to San Francisco's serious water shortages. Winter weather conditions may cause road closures. [48], The Early Intake (Lower Cherry) Powerhouse began commercial operation five years before the O'Shaughnessy Dam was completed. Rounding the corner and catching the first glimpses of Hetch Hetchy Valley reveals the play of light on water. [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). 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). [54][55], After passing through the powerhouses, Hetch Hetchy water flows into the 167mi (269km) Hetch Hetchy Aqueduct which travels across the Central Valley. 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. This limits their ability to access spawning habitat, seek out food resources, and escape predation. Hetch Hetchy is on the main stem of the Tuolumne River and is part of the Tuolumne watershed. The battle for the Hetch Hetchy Valleys future was not simply preservation versus conservation. The dam also provides flood control, irrigation, and water storage along the Colorado River. Consider one project in progress that involves re-routing an entire river . Hoover Dam. What should be the fate of prairies, wetlands, or coastal marshes? 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. A) human well-being B) renewable energy C) environmental sustainability D) cultural services E) human population growth, The current total world population has just passed ________. Those who presumed to speak for wealth, much of which flowed to San Francisco, believed they were transforming a pioneer land into a settled, civilized one. Dam the Hetch Hetchy! Within 50 years, vegetative cover would be complete except for exposed rocky areas. At SPUR, we have done a lot of work on climate change adaptation. 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. In the early 20th century, San Francisco flooded the Hetch Hetchy Valley, destroying "one of nature's rarest and most precious mountain temples." This is why the city can now ban new natural gas. 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. while birds, bees, and butterflies help the river and waterfalls to stir all the air into music. In Yosemite National Park, the Hetch Hetchy reservoir relies on the annual snowmelt to stay full. Second, dams slow rivers. [66] In 2015, Restore Hetch Hetchy filed a complaint arguing that the construction of the dam had violated a provision in the constitution of California about water use, but the lawsuit was rejected by an appeals court and later the California State Supreme Court. Said San Francisco resident William Denman in 1918, "The first time I went into the Hetch Hetchy the mosquitoes were intolerable. We're not going to remove this dam, and the funding is unnecessary. OPTION 3Give control to the local people of Hetch Hetchy Photo: Kim Lawson. 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.