benefits of hetch hetchy dam

OShaughnessy Dam and the waterworks that connect it to the Bay Area are a marvel of engineering. There are thousands of dams in the United States. The fundamental issue involved two concepts. Start by hiking across the OShaughnessy Dam then turn east along the shore of the reservoir. These clean and comfortable rooms also enjoy access to the pool, spa and other facilities at Yosemite Westgate Lodge. Surrounding the water are a few waterfalls, the most prominent being Tueeulala and Wapama Falls, and countless rock features. Hetch Hetchy is dammed by the 430-foot-tall OShaughnessy Dam and has a storage capacity of 360,360 acre-feet. Building the Hetch Hetchy dam in such a remote location was an enormous project. Instead, the magnificence of a valley often described as Yosemite Valleys slightly smaller twin takes center stage. It is the source of water for the city of San Francisco. Once again, the political pendulum had swung. . 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. 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. . And Hetch Hetchy's damming has inspired generations of conservationists to protect our natural heritage and to commit to safeguarding our protected areas. 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.. The SFPUC tests its quality more than 100,000 times a year to ensure that it exceeds all safe drinking water standards. Photo: Herbert W. Gleason courtesy of the Sierra Club. The dam is a small portion of the overall Tuolumne River/San Francisco storage system that benefits the Bay Area. That reservoir is New Don Pedro, and it rests over existing pipelines to the Bay Area. Many are vital pieces of infrastructure that provide reliable water supplies, hydropower, flood control, and recreation. Due to large cataracts on the Tuolumne River upstream, Hetch Hetchy Valley may have been in the uppermost range for native rainbow trout in the river. [24] Screech reported that the valley was bitterly disputed between the "Pah Utah Indians" (Paiute) and "Big Creek Indians" (Miwok), and witnessed several fights in which the Paiute appeared to be the dominant tribe. What one Secretary of the Interior giveth, another taketh away. Spring and early summer bring wildflowers including lupine, wallflower, monkey flower, and buttercup. The battle for Hetch Hetchy was perhaps the first effort at what is now known as "grassroots lobbying," getting individual citizens to contact elected officials in support . Apply Today! 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. 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. [24] It is likely that the edible grass was blue dicks. 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. . California needed secure, reliable access to drinking water for their burgeoning populations. 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. 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. [3] Kolana Rock, at 5,772ft (1,759m), is a massive rock spire on the south side of the Hetch Hetchy Valley. We're not going to remove this dam, and the funding is unnecessary. 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. As the battle lines were drawn, the different methods employed by each side in presenting their case spoke to some of their basic assumptions about the nature of the issue. The construction of the Hetch Hetchy Railroad took place from 1915 to 1918. The deciding factor was whether or not the land in question had access to water. Hetch Hetchy Valley, dammed and flooded in the 1920s despite bitter opposition from Sierra Club founder John Muir, provides drinking water for an estimated 2 million people in the San Francisco . 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 extensive amount of storage, which is designed to benefit the Bay Area as droughts become more severe with climate. Hetch Hetchy ushered in a new era for the national parks. Specialty pricing may require . It has two trailhead options. Furthermore, they provided a place for the wild plants and creatures to live out their own lives, according to their purposes. [2], Wapama Falls, at 1,080ft (330m), and Tueeulala Falls, at 840ft (260m) both among the tallest waterfalls in North America are both located in Hetch Hetchy Valley. 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. We can't help it either. Hetch Hetchy, located at 3,900 feet in Yosemite National Park, is one of the park's most popular hiking . The battle over the Hetch Hetchy, in part, was a fight over public versus private ownership of vital resources such as water. [2] Hetch Hetchy water serves residents in four Bay Area counties, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara and Southern Alameda. Upcountry and the Bay Area. Slow down and spend the day at Tenaya Lake a beautiful and easy-to-get-to alpine lake cupped by granite domes. 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. Park entry (as needed). "[32], In 1867, Charles F. Hoffman of the California Geological Survey conducted the first survey of the valley. Coming from the San Francisco Bay Area youll pass right through Buck Meadows on Highway 120. As well dam for water-tanks the people's cathedrals and churches, for no holier temple has ever been . Gray pine, incense-cedar, and California black oak grow in abundance. [12] During the last glacial period, the Tioga Glacier[13] formed from extensive icefields in the upper Tuolumne River watershed; between 110,000 and 10,000 years ago Hetch Hetchy Valley was sculpted into its present shape by repeated advance and retreat of the ice, which also removed extensive talus deposits that may have accumulated in the valley since the Sherwin period. 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). Should natural resources be used to serve the greatest good for the greatest number? "[81] Hodel, now retired, is still[when?] Building a dam there was off the table. About one million years ago, the extensive Sherwin glaciation widened, deepened and straightened river valleys along the western slope of the Sierra Nevada, including Hetch Hetchy, Yosemite Valley, and Kings Canyon farther to the south. She says the water first leaves Hetch Hetchy through the O'Shaughnessy Dam. The O'Shaughnessy Dam is 430-foot (131 m) high made of concrete and it is named after engineer Michael O'Shaughnessy, who oversaw the entire construction. [63] The city justified this as a temporary measure, but no attempt to follow through with completing the municipal grid was ever made. The new 68-mile (109 km) railroad wound its way up the narrow canyon of the Tuolumne River past sharp curves and up steep 4% grades. Could you imagine building a dam inside a national park today? 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. After Hetch Hetchy, many realized the National Parks needed more protection. Over the next decade, he produced fifteen large oils that transformed the valley into a dreamland unlike anything that ever met mortal eye.. No spam. Friday, enjoy an evening about bats starting at 7 pm. 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). 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. If the dam were not to be built, it would only benefit the small percentage of Americans who actually visited the site and were concerned about the park's pristine condition. 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. 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. The . Camping included, if needed; limited sites are shared among all the . Some years later, water began flowing to San Francisco. They were both initially carved by rivers flowing down the Sierras relatively gentle western slope. 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. For instance, the WET company helps people see the beauty of water through magnificent water fountains. If their signature-gathering campaign is successful, a small group of environmental advocates, led by Restore Hetch Hetchy, will give you the opportunity this November to vote on a measure that would require the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) to develop a plan to drain Hetch Hetchy Reservoir. This is a place considered by John Muir to be equal in beauty to Yose. 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. Residents drink it in 26 cities and water districts from San. [57] Pipelines 3 and 4 end at the Pulgas Water Temple, a small park that contains classical architectural elements which celebrate the water delivery. On a national stage, Hetch Hetchy became caught in the cross fire between the interests of private utilities ownership and those of municipal ownership. The larger issues at stake would frame environmental debates for years to come. Forests might provide for the material well-being of human beings, but they did not exist for this reason alone. Related. In Yosemite National Park, the Hetch Hetchy reservoir relies on the annual snowmelt to stay full. [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. Should nature be left alone so that flora and fauna flourish while people enjoy its primal wonders? Let us introduce you to some of the unique giant sequoia groves in the Yosemite Mariposa County area the Merced, Tuolumne, and Mariposa Groves are inside Yosemite National Park, and the Nelder Grove is just outside the park boundary to the south. 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. In spite of Muirs eloquent and heated objections, the Raker Act was signed into law in December of 1913. 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. Plus, the granite walls converge into a narrow outlet at the bottom of the valley the perfect location for a dam. 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. It is part of our More than Just Parks Environmental Heroes series. while birds, bees, and butterflies help the river and waterfalls to stir all the air into music. The dam was then 227 feet (69m) high; its present height of 312 feet (95m) was achieved only later, in 1938. 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. Since the valley was within Yosemite National Park, an act of Congress was needed to authorize the project. Due to extreme winter weather, Yosemite National Park is closed with no estimated date of reopening. Within 50 years, vegetative cover would be complete except for exposed rocky areas. [50] The project is operated by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission. Dams, including this one, dont last forever, and perhaps in a few generations the conversation about a different future for the Hetch Hetchy Valley may be worthwhile. Even a short stroll from the car gives a magnificent view of the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir from the OShaughnessy Dam. The proposed study would also have been required to identify potential replacements for the water storage capacity and hydroelectric power production.[87][88]. 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. [75] The remaining deficit would likely have to be replaced by polluting fossil fuel generation. Water could be diverted into the Kirkwood and Moccasin Powerhouses using lower-impact diversion dams, providing power generation on a seasonal basis, and the enlarged height at Don Pedro would also increase power generation there. "[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. The Tuolumne River, the source of. Hetch Hetchy Valley was once home to a richly diverse ecosystem, surrounded by towering cliffs and waterfalls similar to those in neighboring Yosemite Valley. Through the manipulation of water, the company also had the power to determine which real estate became valuable and which languished. After 2.5 miles (4.0 km), youll reach the Wapama Falls Bridge with an up-close view of the lowest section of Wapama Falls. Healthy fish populations - by releasing sufficient instream flows for spawning and rearing downstream - sometimes to mitigate for the loss of spawning habitat caused by their construction, and [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. Construction of O'Shaughnessy Dam began in 1919 and was finished in 1923, with the reservoir first filling in May of that year. The grassroots organization of environmental activism, established by John Muir and his supporters, became a model for future environmentalists. Like Muir, she felt the beauty of the valley was a national treasure which ought to be preserved. 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. The reservoir provides water to a large portion of the Bay Area through a 160 mile delivery. The trail to Wapama Falls is one of the most popular trails in the Hetch Hetchy area for a good reason. 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. Us too! John Muir, the first president of the Sierra Club, condemned plans to build the dam, saying, "Dam Hetch Hetchy! As the Hetch Hetchy Valley was part of Yosemite National Park, Hitchcock preferred to protect the park's natural wonders. Teams completed the OShaughnessy Dam in 1923 and the reservoir filled for the first time in May of that year. 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. Building the Dam. To begin the trail, cross the dam and pass through the tunnel. A) 5 billion B . [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. Hours: Year-round, but only accessible by car when the Hetch Hetchy Road is open. Hetch Hetchy is on the main stem of the Tuolumne River and is part of the Tuolumne watershed. "[22], The valley's name may be derived from a Miwok word earlier anglicized as hatchhatchie, which means "edible grasses"[8][23] or "magpie". It is the primary water source for about 2.5 million residents of the San Francisco Bay Area. [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. As well dam for water-tanks the people's cathedrals and churches, for no holier temple has ever been consecrated by the heart of man. 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. . Yes, the plan to drain Hetch Hetchy involves causing new ecological damage. It is spectacular: a miles-long placid blue lake nested within towering granite cliffs, from which waterfalls cascade. 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. Gifford Pinchot wanted the U.S Forest Service to control the parks, but after his support to dam Hetchy Hetchy, Congress voted in 1916 to to establish the National Park Service whose sole purpose was "to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wild life therein and to provide for the . Located at 3,900 feet, Hetch Hetchy boasts one of the longest hiking seasons in the park and is an ideal place for thundering spring waterfalls and wildflower displays. The battle for Hetch Hetchy wasnt just conservationists vs preservationists. Albert Bierstadt was known for his sweeping landscapes of the American West. Five country-chic rooms in the main building include en suite bathrooms, free WiFi and electric fireplaces. The spacious rooms include access to a heated swimming pool, spa, playground, and laundry facilities. The falls roar in spring and early summer. Next to John Muir, the most vocal defender of the Hetch Hetchy Valley was Harriet Monroe. It involved the unintended consequences of efforts to shape the environment to meet human needs. The Hetch Hetchy dam is upstream on the Tuolumne River from a reservoir nearly six times as large. The valley floor consisted of roughly 1,200 acres (490ha) of meadows fringed by pine forest, through which meandered the Tuolumne River and numerous tributary streams. This is why environmental impact statements, which were not required prior to 1969, are so important today. Hetch Hetchy is an iconic, rare and spectacular landscape, Hetch Hetchy is part of Yosemite National Park and its damming and flooding is by far the worst destruction of our national parks have ever experienced Restoration would not only make Yosemite whole once again it would inspire people that we don't need to live with mistakes of the past" [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. Wapama Fall is reached via a five-mile, round-trip hike that follows the shoreline of the reservoir with moderate up and downhill hiking. Today the 117-billion-gallon reservoir supplies drinking water to about 2.5 million San Francisco Bay Area residents and hydro-electric power generated by two plants downstream.

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