The reservoir is fed by the Tuolumne River. And in a larger sense, the waters of California served as the converting agents. [21][33] Albert Bierstadt, Charles Dorman Robinson and William Keith were known for their landscapes that drew tourists to the Hetch Hetchy Valley. 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. 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. . For John Muir, it was about preserving a natural wonder which could be enjoyed by generations to come. Yet environmentalists have dreamed of restoring the dramatic valley along the Tuolumne River, which was filled in by the lake when the dam was built in 1938 under the New Deal. 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. Monroe was a Chicago poet who joined Muir and others on their 1908 and 1909 outings to the valley. Each switchback reveals scenic overlooks of the reservoir and Kolana Rock. The reservoir supplies water for the city of San Francisco, so there is no recreational boating or swimming allowed. The Blackberry Inn Bed and Breakfast is just one of many welcoming businesses located on the way to Hetch Hetchy. What part should mountains, rivers, natural meadows or wild creatures play in American life? The new. 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. Hetch Hetchy, located at 3,900 feet in Yosemite National Park, is one of the park's most popular hiking . [45], The controversy over Hetch Hetchy was in the context of other political scandals and controversies, especially prevalent in the Taft administration. 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. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Had it been, the Sierra Clubs members would have presented a united front in opposition to its development. [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. At the time, neither side understood the long-range consequences of human actions to manage the environment. 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. Five country-chic rooms in the main building include en suite bathrooms, free WiFi and electric fireplaces. 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. [57] Pipelines 3 and 4 end at the Pulgas Water Temple, a small park that contains classical architectural elements which celebrate the water delivery. Located at 3,900 feet, it boasts one of the longest hiking seasons in the park. 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. In the distance, long white plumes of water cascade hundreds of feet down from rocky heights. Required fields are marked *. They also remove water needed for healthy in-stream ecosystems. Buck Meadows is also a great place to spend the night. 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. San Francisco assumed from the outset that there would not be significant opposition to using the Hetch Hetchy Valley, even if it was in a national park, for the high and noble purpose of providing water to one of the nations great and growing metropolises, so their efforts in Washington, DC, were conducted discreetly. The report cited other dam projects in making the argument that this project would increase tourism. Hetch Hetchy was the first major battle of the environmental movement. [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. The same features that make Hetch Hetchy Valley so spectacular also make it an ideal location for a dam. In the future, we will certainly need diverse supplies to rely on in a prolonged drought, but we will also need Hetch Hetchy more than ever. 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. Now San Francisco wanted to dam one of the two principal watersheds in the park, the Hetch Hetchy valley through which ran the Tuolumne River, to create a reservoir for its water supply. history. Dam Hetch Hetchy! There is plenty to see and do right here, from kayaking on the water to climbing the magnificent domes above. [2] The dam contains 675,000cuyd (516,000m3) of concrete. Copyright © 2023 More Than Just Parks | This post may contain affiliate links - read our Standards, Corrections, & Privacy Policy. Building the Dam. 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. Hetch Hetchy Reservoir - O'Shaugnessy Dam - National Park Service O'Shaughnessey Dam Facts. 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. Subsequent proposals for development in our national parks have been defeated by citizen activists inspired by calls to remember Hetch Hetchy. Giving a Dam: Congress Debates Hetch Hetchy - George Mason University While John Muir led the fight against building the dam, the opposition was supported by Gifford Pinchot. Consequences - Hetch Hetchy: The Valley of Broken Promises Hidden in Yosemite National Parks peaceful northwest corner, Hetch Hetchy Valley is a treasure worth visiting in all seasons. More Than Just Parks | National Parks Guides. [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. What should be the fate of prairies, wetlands, or coastal marshes? Hetch Hetchy and Yosemite Valley are so similar because they were created by the same sequences of geological activity. For all the similarities between Hetch Hetchy Valley and Yosemite Valley, there is one enormous difference the Hetch Hetchy reservoir. The water from Hetch Hetchy Reservoir is used to supply system customers as well as to generate hydroelectric power; the reservoir is also operated to provide instream flows to benefit fisheries and other wildlife. From 1901 - 1913, John Muir led the Sierra Club in a campaign to protect the Hetch Hetchy Valley, a part of Yosemite National Park, from being filled by a reservoir. The surface of the water hides an additional 300 feet of granite cliffs and once-upon-a-time waterfalls within its depths. These benefits include: Reservoir-based recreation - swimming, fishing, camping etc. 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. Tom Philp of The Sacramento Bee - The Pulitzer Prizes Should nature be left alone so that flora and fauna flourish while people enjoy its primal wonders? The dam was then 227 feet (69m) high; its present height of 312 feet (95m) was achieved only later, in 1938. Controversy continues to swirl around the Hetch Hetchy Dam even now. The construction of the Hetch Hetchy Railroad took place from 1915 to 1918. In the sum of American economic expansion the intrusion might have seemed a minor, obscure matter, but to [John] Muir immense issues were involved: why had the nation preserved that pure wildness in the first place? Slow-moving reservoirs heat up, resulting in abnormal temperature fluctuations which can affect sensitive species. This strenuous 2.5-mile, round-trip hike to the Tuolumne River has 1,229 feet of elevation gain. 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. [63] The city justified this as a temporary measure, but no attempt to follow through with completing the municipal grid was ever made. Divide the class into four small groups. [3] Kolana Rock, at 5,772ft (1,759m), is a massive rock spire on the south side of the Hetch Hetchy Valley. This option favors building a dam in the Hetch Hetchy Valley to provide hundreds of thou- sands of San Francisco residents with water and electricitybasic necessities for health and well-being, as well as urban development and economic growth. [13], Hetch Hetchy is home to a diverse array of plants and animals. [42] This provoked a seven-year environmental struggle with the environmental group Sierra Club, led by John Muir. He discovered it a few of years later.