On December 19, 1913, Congress passed and President Wilson signed the Raker Act which permitted the building of the OShaughnessy Dam and the flooding of the Hetch Hethcy Valley in Yosemite National Park. A Dam Removal in Progress. August 14 Hetch Hetchy Began Producing Power (1925) - Today in What part should mountains, rivers, natural meadows or wild creatures play in American life? Apply Today! Muir famously said, Dam Hetch Hetchy! Muir and other defenders of Hetch Hetchy believe the fight revolved around two central issues. [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. $27.3125/hr Watershed Worker (Summer, 2023) - Hetch Hetchy Water This time it was in favor those who wanted to preserve the valley for generations yet to come. . For John Muir, it was about preserving a natural wonder which could be enjoyed by generations to come. Shasta, Oroville, Hetch Hetchy and many others were built by damming large rivers. Instead, it was a more complicated battle which pitted public interests against private interests. But tearing OShaughnessy Dam down now in order to restore Hetch Hetchy Valley would be a disaster. The trail continues to climb for 1.8 miles (2.8 km) above the trail intersection, but you can turn around any time. This time, in favor of those who wanted to build the dam. 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. 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. Forests might provide for the material well-being of human beings, but they did not exist for this reason alone. Could you imagine building a dam inside a national park today? Hetch Hetchy and Yosemite Valley are so similar because they were created by the same sequences of geological activity. It pitted a powerful city against a dedicated group of conservationists. The reservoir is fed by the Tuolumne River. The reservoir supplies water for the city of San Francisco, so there is no recreational boating or swimming allowed. Hetch Hetchy, unlike other water storage facilities in California, is relatively buffered from near-term climate change because of its high elevation. SPUR wholeheartedly agrees that planning for water quality and reliability is important. [21][33] Albert Bierstadt, Charles Dorman Robinson and William Keith were known for their landscapes that drew tourists to the Hetch Hetchy Valley. Hetch Hetchy Water's Epic Journey, From Mountains to Tap If you want to follow the old railroad line today, the Hetch Hetchy Road and most of the Mather Road were built on the old railroad bed and are beautiful scenic drives as well. The Hetch Hetchy Dam is destroying a piece of land that is the homes of multiple types of animals. While youre at it, plan to add to the historic flavor of this route with a stop the Northern Mariposa County History Center. Wapama Fall is reached via a five-mile, round-trip hike that follows the shoreline of the reservoir with moderate up and downhill hiking. 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. 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. To visit the waterfalls or Yosemites northern backcountry, you walk across OShaughnessy Dam. [8] Rancheria Falls is located farther southeast, on Rancheria Creek. Right next to the Lucky Buck Cafe, youll find the Yosemite Westgate Lodge and Buck Meadows Lodge. Muir observed:[3]. Hetch Hetchy Water & Power plans five-year $140M Mountain Tunnel [39], Interest in using the valley as a water source or reservoir dates back as far as the 1850s, when the Tuolumne Valley Water Company proposed developing water storage there for irrigation. In continuance, water has a personality and the presence of it can change moods and help people feel better. 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. Instead, the magnificence of a valley often described as Yosemite Valleys slightly smaller twin takes center stage. 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. 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 construction of the Hetch Hetchy Railroad took place from 1915 to 1918. Even before it was finished, the massive . This strenuous 2.5-mile, round-trip hike to the Tuolumne River has 1,229 feet of elevation gain. No spam. 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. Mirror Lakes famous spring-time reflections capture the eye and mind. If youre excited about a long hike or backpacking trip, you can continue to Laurel Lake for a 14.2-mile (22.9 km) out and back. Native American cultures were prominent before the 1850s when the first settlers from the United States arrived in the Sierra Nevada. [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). Most of the dam would remain in place, both to avoid the enormous costs of demolition and removal, and to serve as a monument for the workers who built it. 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. In: Educational Resources, History, National Parks, Your email address will not be published. As we learned from Rachel Carsons Silent Spring, humankind can damage the environment while attempting to control it. The extensive amount of storage, which is designed to benefit the Bay Area as droughts become more severe with climate. When youre standing at the shore overlooking what appears to be a lake, picture yourself looking down into a verdant valley filled with the tall native grasses that give the valley its name. In 1923, the O'Shaughnessy Dam was completed on the Tuolumne River, flooding the entire valley under the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir. 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 battle over the Hetch Hetchy, in part, was a fight over public versus private ownership of vital resources such as water. Exactly how San Francisco won the right to transform the bucolic valley into a ", "San Francisco-Hetch Hetchy Valley Connection", "Hetch Hetchy controversy: Could Yosemite's 'second valley' be restored? The main power facility in the system, the Moccasin Powerhouse, began commercial operation on August 14, 1925. They were both initially carved by rivers flowing down the Sierras relatively gentle western slope. [56] All four pipelines cross the Hayward fault. 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. At SPUR, we have done a lot of work on climate change adaptation. [85] There have been lawsuits over whether San Francisco violated the agreements of the Raker Act. Building the Hetch Hetchy dam in such a remote location was an enormous project. . The water winds between granite features like Kolana Rock and Hetch Hetchy Dome. [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. The glacially-carved U-shaped valley floor maximizes the amount of water stored in the reservoir. The second concept is preservation. Let the dam at Hetch Hetchy stand - sfchronicle.com [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. As a result, San Francisco secured a reliable and . 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. Standing upon it will give you the chance to appreciate the sublimity of both nature and human achievement. Hetch Hetchy Water and Power also wants to remove the giant bulkhead that seals up the tunnel with 40 nuts and bolts, Ritchie said. history. 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 . 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. . [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. Everyone who drinks water or takes a shower in San Francisco should go. An adjacent building contains another five suites with vaulted ceilings, forest views and soaking tubs. Each switchback reveals scenic overlooks of the reservoir and Kolana Rock. [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. 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. This is why environmental impact statements, which were not required prior to 1969, are so important today. High temperatures prevail in summer months, but that is a small price to pay for the reward of vast wilderness filled with stunning peaks, hidden canyons, and remote lakes. [79] Some observers, such as Carl Pope (director of the Sierra Club), stated that Hodel had political motives[80] in proposing the study. As surely as forests provided timber, so did they provide beauty, inspiration, and the renewal of over-citified spirits. Controversy continues to swirl around the Hetch Hetchy Dam even now. 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. Those in favor of dam removal have pointed out that many actions by San Francisco since 1913 have been in violation of the Raker Act, which explicitly stated that power and water from Hetch Hetchy could not be sold to private interests. 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 SFPUC tests its quality more than 100,000 times a year to ensure that it exceeds all safe drinking water standards. California Rep. John E. Raker submitted a bill to Congress granting the city of San Francisco the right to dam the Hetchy Hetchy Valley as a reservoir and also provide the city the right of municipalized electricity as well. There are many places to stop and enjoy views of the rushing water before turning around to return to your car. Environment Quiz 1 Chapters 1-3 Flashcards | Quizlet More Than Just Parks | National Parks Guides. The upcountry portion of the System begins with Hetch Hetchy Reservoir in Yosemite National Park. Yosemite's Hetch Hetchy Water Wars - Yosemite National Park Trips [26], In the early 1850s, a mountain man by the name of Nathan Screech[27] became the first non-Native American to enter the valley. It involved the unintended consequences of efforts to shape the environment to meet human needs. For functional purposes, Hetch Hetchy was a promising solution to San Francisco's serious water shortages. 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. Many examples of red-barked manzanita can be seen along the Hetch Hetchy Road. Following a fierce nationwide debate led by John Muir and Will Colby of the Sierra Club, the City of San Francisco was authorized by the U.S. Congress, in the Raker Act of 1913, to construct a dam and reservoir on the Tuolumne River in Hetch Hetchy Valley in Yosemite National Park. The surface of the water hides an additional 300 feet of granite cliffs and once-upon-a-time waterfalls within its depths. 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. Photo: Kim Lawson. The National Park Service concluded that two years after draining the valley, grasses would cover most of its floor and within 10 years, clumps of cone-bearing trees and some oaks would take root. [72] The water storage provided at Hetch Hetchy could be transferred into Lake Don Pedro lower on the Tuolumne River by raising the New Don Pedro Dam 30ft (9.1m). As of October 2022, Hetch Hetchy was at 77.5% of its capacity. If you love that insider feeling of discovering an often-overlooked gem, plan a stop at Buck Meadows on your way to or from Hetch Hetchy. From the turn-off, the road winds for 16.5 miles up the old Hetch Hetchy railroad grade (26.5 km) to the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, passing many lonely trails along the way. Activity 1: Analysis. He was a firm believer in utilitarian conservation. Application Opening: February 10, 2023 Application Filing Deadline: March 3, 2023 Hourly Compensation: $27.3125 Recruitment ID: RTF0131751-01138303 (131752) APPOINTMENT TYPE: Temporary Exempt: This position is excluded by the Charter from the competitive Civil Service examination process and shall serve at the discretion of the Appointing Officer. Winter storms fill Hetch Hetchy, renew debate about reservoir's future The water is transported from the reservoir by the Hetch Hetchy Aqueduct which is made up of 170 miles of gravity-driven pipelines, dams, and other reservoirs. Subsequent proposals for development in our national parks have been defeated by citizen activists inspired by calls to remember Hetch Hetchy. 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" Located 30 miles southeast of Las Vegas, the dam captures water from the . 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. The locations of these two formations roughly correspond with those of Cathedral Rocks and El Capitan seen from Tunnel View in Yosemite Valley. 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. Since then, the "Hetch Hetchy System" has continued to grow, now including nine impoundments . [31] Its meadows provided abundant feed for "thousands of head of sheep and cattle that entered lean and lank in the spring, but left rolling fat and hardly able to negotiate the precipitous and difficult defiles out of the mountains in the fall. [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.