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. 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. It is part of our More than Just Parks Environmental Heroes series. ", "Three Square Miles of Open Space: Is It Enough? The larger issues at stake would frame environmental debates for years to come. "[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. Rancheria Falls itself is a series of whitewater cascades that crashes through a narrow canyon on its way to the reservoir. This valley was isolated and remote, twenty miles northwest of the original. Activity 1: Analysis. Plus, the granite walls converge into a narrow outlet at the bottom of the valley the perfect location for a dam. Apply Today! Hetch Hetchy, for the time being, was safe, and it would not be inundated during Roosevelts watch.. (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.) As well dam for . [14] At maximum extent, Tioga Glacier may have been 60mi (97km) long and up to 4,000ft (1,200m) thick, filling Hetch Hetchy Valley to the brim and spilling over the sides, carving out the present rugged plateau country to the north and southwest. 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. 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. Photo: Theresa Ho, Of course, the proposal was immediately opposed by environmentalists including the Sierra Club and John Muir. These clean and comfortable rooms also enjoy access to the pool, spa and other facilities at Yosemite Westgate Lodge. Dbq Hetchy Project - 663 Words | Internet Public Library Back in the early nineteen hundreds, when the debate start about The Hetch Hetchy dam being built a large majority of people did not realize or care how valuable nature is. Photo: Chris Migeon. This time it was in favor those who wanted to preserve the valley for generations yet to come. But Hetch Hetchy was a federally protected as part of Yosemite National Park. 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 . Us too! O'Shaughnessy Dam (California) - Wikipedia In some cases, however, including the Klamath and Hetch Hetchy, the benefits of restoration clearly outweigh the benefits provided by the dams. 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. Learn what to expect from Mirror Lake in various seasons. Some years later, water began flowing to San Francisco. Call 209-372-0200 for the latest road and weather conditions, Hetch Hetchy Road Daily Hours: 8 am to 5 pm. No picture of the giant sequoia trees in Yosemite National Park manages to fully capture their immense size and majesty. Richard Ballinger was appointed his Interior Secretary. 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. Hoover Dam. The bustling metropolis of Los Angeles could not have become the city it did without the water which flowed from the Owens Valley hundreds of miles away. Furthermore, they provided a place for the wild plants and creatures to live out their own lives, according to their purposes. But how did the dam get to be here? The Hetch Hetchy dam is upstream on the Tuolumne River from a reservoir nearly six times as large. 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. By 1908, a different Interior Secretary, James R. Garfield, sided with the utilitarian conservationists and issued a permit for the Hetch Hetchy project. In: Educational Resources, History, National Parks, Your email address will not be published. It forced elected representatives to consider what a national park designation truly meant and whether or not the land within these parks deserved protection. 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.. As Muir famously protested: Dam Hetch Hetchy? 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. Two additional reservoirs in the Hetch Hetchy RegionLake Eleanor and Lake Lloyd (also 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. If youre especially in the mood to relax and let yourself be taken care of, The Blackberry Inn is a luxury bed and breakfast situated on 36 acres and surrounded by National Forest land. Expect delicious meals and hearty portions to fuel your adventure or beat that post-hiking hunger. Topic: Hoover Dam - Water Education Foundation Browers Hetch Hetchy: Undoing A Great American Mistake, makes a compelling case for restoring the valley to its previous glory. And today there is even an organization, Restore Hetch Hetchy, which is committed to doing just that. Winter weather conditions may cause road closures. [42] This provoked a seven-year environmental struggle with the environmental group Sierra Club, led by John Muir. Hetch Hetchy is unique because of its small holding capacity in comparison to the vast watershed feeding it. The water winds between granite features like Kolana Rock and Hetch Hetchy Dome. Restore Hetch Hetchy and the Environmental Defense Funds own studies support a lower cost estimate, ranging from $1 billion to $2 billion. 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. The grassroots organization of environmental activism, established by John Muir and his supporters, became a model for future environmentalists. The O'Shaughnessy Dam is near Yosemite's western boundary, but the long, narrow, fingerlike reservoir stretches eastward for about 8 miles (13 km). Specialty pricing may require . It involved the unintended consequences of efforts to shape the environment to meet human needs. In the 21st century, Ken Brower, son of the renown environmentalist David Brower, wrote a fascinating account of the failed campaign to save Hetch Hetchy and the modern effort to Reverse an American Mistake, complete with speculation about how the rebirth of a wild valley might evolve. 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. Then it travels through a series of mountain tunnels. It carried workers and materials for the dam, as well as tourists, postage and other amenities. Pinchot was Americas Forester. He served as the first head of the United States Forest Service. As we learned from Rachel Carsons Silent Spring, humankind can damage the environment while attempting to control it. 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. Hetch Hetchy: Time to Redeem a Historic Mistake - Sierra Club In the foreground, the deep still water of Hetch Hetchy Reservoir reflects sunshine, clouds and the proud shadows of the surrounding mountains. 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 . [48], The Early Intake (Lower Cherry) Powerhouse began commercial operation five years before the O'Shaughnessy Dam was completed. 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. [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. 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. 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. Yosemite Westgate Lodge offers newly-remodeled and well-appointed modern accommodation. Should nature be left alone so that flora and fauna flourish while people enjoy its primal wonders? Subsequent proposals for development in our national parks have been defeated by citizen activists inspired by calls to remember Hetch Hetchy. At the time, neither side understood the long-range consequences of human actions to manage the environment. Hetch Hetchy - Wikipedia Have you been to Hetch Hetchy Reservoir in Yosemite? Slow down and spend the day at Tenaya Lake a beautiful and easy-to-get-to alpine lake cupped by granite domes. Photo: Kim Lawson. The Hetch Hetchy Reservoir created by the dam has a capacity of 360,400acreft (0.4445km3), with a maximum area of 1,972 acres (798ha) and a maximum depth of 306 feet (93m).

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