Proceedings before the secretary of the interior. United States. 1. I have had no response on these questions. . It carried workers and materials for the dam, as well as tourists, postage and other amenities. Steve Ritchie, a San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) water manager who oversees the Hetch Hetchy system, says storing the water elsewhere would cost billions of dollars. That anyone would try to destroy [Hetch Hetchy Valley] seems; incredible; but sad experience shows that there are people good enough and bad enough for anything. But there are signs all over Yosemite about not drinking the water because of the Giardia parasites. Thats not all because the drinking water downstream from DAPL could be affected too, and next thing you know hundreds of thousands of people will. What I havent done is look more closely at the pros and cons of the issues on each side. Not only would restoration make Yosemite entire once more, but would also encourage others that we don't have to continue making . Restoring Hetch Hetchy could also come at an environmental cost. Giving a Dam: Congress Debates Hetch Hetchy. Hetch Hetchy water travels 160 miles via gravity from . 1244). Between 1908 and 1913, congress debated whether to make a water resource available or preserve a wilderness when the growing city of san francisco, california proposed building a dam in the hetch hetchy valley to . Don Pedro Reservoir, downstream on the Tuolumne River, holds 6 times as much water as Hetch Hetchy Reservoir. Nevertheless it would be nice if we could reverse that unfortunate turn of events. During the early 1900s there was a large debate in the United States concerning the proposed construction of the Hetch Hetchy dam. Between 1908 and 1913, Congress debated whether to make a water resource available or preserve a wilderness when the growing city of San Francisco, California proposed building a dam in the Hetch Hetchy Valley to provide a steady water supply. Today, hetch hetchy valley is a dammed and flooded reservoir. Royalty-free Creative Video Editorial Archive Custom Content Creative Collections. Hetch Hetchy is just 15 miles north of Yosemite Valley and the two are often called twins. Assign each group to analyze one or more . He argued that conservationists only wished to dam Hetch Hetchy as it would be low cost and saw no value in its natural state. By california standards, hetch hetchy is not a large reservoir. Fresno transpires as one of the fastest growing population county, and they accustomed to obtaining high temperatures. In re applications of A. H. Ward and Mariposa electrical . One of the positive impacts was the increase of irrigation in yuma. The pipeline is called the Dakota Access Pipeline project and is being built by the Energy Transfer Partners company. He is arguing that the conservationist only care about the real dollar cost for the project without consideration for what will be. in addition, he dedicated four decades of all his knowledge to his community. Hardin defines the commons as finite, usually natural, resources that are shared and freely accessible to everyone (1968, pp. When people are not aware of where their energy comes from, it threatens their values and ideals. If you're thinking about visiting Hetch Hetchy during your Yosemite vacation, these pros, cons, and views may help you decide whether to go. Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where Nature may heal and cheer and give strength to body and soul alike. Ive posted on this subject a number of times (see the links below). Divide the class into four small groups. Rules were not set in the early stages of the parks, so people would overkill the animals and damage the trees by puncturing the outer layer . I asked them where they stood on the issue of restoring Hetch Hetchy Valley. United States. It was NOT a mistake. NEXT. Energy for northern california would be provided. We are fighting a battle to try our case in the California courts, Rosekrans said. However, not until 1987 under President Reagan did hope resurfaced that we may actually get it back. The Tragedy of Commons is a concept originally contrived by William Forster Llyod in 1833 in the essay Two Lectures on the Checks to Population. In the 1600s when Europeans began to settle in North America, there were 1037 million acres of forestland. Generally, hydropower is the one of the oldest and most renewable sources of energy in the world today. However, due to the public debate in 1908, congress just tabled the bill (they didnt squash it). Rather, in a brief submitted to the appellate court by California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, the board said that the trial court erred when it ruled that federal law preempted California water law. Sad to say, this most precious and sublime feature of the Yosemite National Park, one of the greatest of all our natural resources for the uplifting joy and peace and health of the people, is in danger of being dammed and made into a reservoir to help supply San Francisco with water and light, thus flooding it from wall to wall and burying its gardens and groves one or two hundred feet deep. Muir believed that, Between these two powerful men was President Roosevelt, who from an emotional point of view agreed with Muir that the wildness of nature was a wonder to humans and must in part be preserved, but realistically he aligned with Pinchot because humans themselves live in nature and must subsequently use natural resources. I also reached out to San Francisco Water Public Records (SFWATER.ORG) for their views on the issue. Our figures include replacing that with solar power.. 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. This decision concluded a decade-long, highly contentious debate over the dam-and-reservoir complex to supply water to post-earthquake San Francisco, a battle that was . People who do not fully control the sources of their energy may take it for granted and waste it, however if they make changes in their lifestyle, these dangers can be avoided. As a boy Aldo Leopold thought by killing the predators on the mountain, there will be more deer to hunt which is an advantage for the hunters; however, he did not know that his action could affect the sustainability of the mountain. This park is more than mere scenic opportunities; it is a virtual wonderland wrought by yesteryear. As a reservoir, Hetch Hetchy is part of a system that provides water to 2.4 million people in the San Francisco Bay Area. The brought and gave good to yuma and went through the colorado river because yuma was mostly a flood plain at a constant level. River Plan Too Fishy for my Taste Buds explains how the project will not help at all, something fishy must remain a secret. Pinchots legacy was the creation of managed wilderness lands that could be used by humans in their survival. It is recommended that the water is either boiled for 5 minutes before drinking, heavily filtered, or an iodine based purifier is used. Into the conclusions of the studies listed above and the data on which they are based, and, finally, to weigh the pros and cons of dam removal and formulate your own position. Then in 1913, when it was reconsidered, the Raker Act was passed. The proponents of the dam scheme bring forward a lot of bad arguments to prove that the only righteous thing to do with the peoples parks is to destroy them bit by bit as they are able. India. In addition, Nash continues his article by giving facts about the water in Texas being glutted with run-off from centers of population, factories and farms that all alter the chemical constitution of water (3) creating a deeper predicament for the people in Texas. 01 of 05. The latest twist in this long story has just unfolded, and the final chapter is yet to come. After the built the dam farm land increased by a lot. And Im in favor of that. Will the San Joaquin River Restoration Project persists of improving or deteriorating Californias drought? Encountered a bear meandering down the trail towards us about a 1/2 mile from the fork to go up left . But tearing down O'Shaughnessy Dam in order to restore Hetch Hetchy Valley would be a disaster. That rule applies to Hetch Hetchy water as well. Over the years it has become a passion. Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, a source of drinking water for 2.7 million people in the City of San Francisco, is viewed from O'Shaughnessy Dam on October. Pinchot would soon face opposition from ranchers and miners that began to hurt his position on conservation. Since December 19, 1913, when the Raker Act was signed by President Wilson, there has been a lamentation on the loss of Hetch Hetchy Valley. The Hetch Hetchy Dam is destroying a piece of land that is the homes of multiple types of animals. Browse 129 hetch hetchy reservoir stock photos and images available, or search for yosemite national park or tuolumne river to find more great stock photos and pictures. Hetch Hetchy: Pros and Cons of Restoration, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), http://www.sfgate.com/green/article/Anti-dam-group-questions-Hetch-Hetchy-water-3257983.php, Yosemite of Yesteryear Early Hotels Revisited. View Hetch-Hetchy from RMP 511 at University of New Hampshire. Which would cause yuma to lose more money. These arguments were brought before congress to make a decision about the fate of the valley. Don Pedro Dam was originally put up by the Modesto and Turlock Irrigation Districts to better control their acquired water rights of the Tuolumne River. You own frozen Arctic tundra, endless southern wildflower fields and refreshing cool northern forests. It was denied in 1903 by Ethan Hitchcock, then Secretary of the Interior, because he felt that a National Park isnt like ordinary wildernesses. It was named by Josiah Whitney (after his daughter) in the 1860s. The consciousness of the country with regard to conservation (or, more specifically at that time, preservation) was only just beginning. For Restore Hetch Hetchy, however, the overriding concern is righting what they see as a historical wrong to an iconic national park. We cant build more dams as long as the radical environmental laws make their construction impossible(McClintock). Reservoir releases also generate hydropower that San Francisco uses for . These two viewpoints came into conflict when the Hetch Hetchy project was proposed to create a water supply above San Francisco.