Hidden in Yosemite National Park's peaceful northwest corner, Hetch Hetchy Valley is a treasure worth visiting in all seasons. Today, however, that valley is under 300 feet of water. The projected restored the natural habitat of the river and opened it up to its original course from the Olympic Mountains to the Strait of Juan de Fuca. But after a change of administration at the White House and the 1906 earthquake, sentiments in favor of San Francisco grew. Building a dam on the tuolumne river at hetch. Do the State and Federal filtration standards that Hetch Hetchy Reservoir meets or exceeds include the standards necessary to eliminate the Giardia parasites? Preservationist and Sierra Club founder John Muir did not testify before Congress, but he argued against the Hetch Hetchy plan in this excerpt from his 1912 book, The Yosemite. Emma odom hetch hetchy dam environmental debate the hetch hetchy dam in yosemites national park is the. However, the term was really able to come to prominence after economist Garret Hardin invoked the analogy in his 1968 paper Science. 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 . San Francisco's water-bank in Don Pedro Reservoir, downstream on the Tuolumne River, holds twice as much water as Hetch Hetchy. 1245). hetch hetchy valley. 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. This fight set the stage for future battles between those who believed natural resources were to be used for the greatest good versus . 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. Nevertheless, like anything else worthwhile, from the very beginning, however well guarded, they have always been subject to attack by despoiling gain-seekers and mischief-makers of every degree from Satan to Senators, eagerly trying to make everything immediately and selfishly commercial, with schemes disguised in smug-smiling philanthropy, industriously, shampiously crying, Conservation, conservation, panutilization, that man and beast may be fed and the dear Nation made great. Don Pedro Reservoir, downstream on the Tuolumne River, holds 6 times as much water as Hetch Hetchy Reservoir. Its going to be used to transport oil to the United States from Canada. India. You own frozen Arctic tundra, endless southern wildflower fields and refreshing cool northern forests. The Fresno appellate court disagreed. This link will take you to the page; just scroll down from there. The floor of Yosemite is about 4,000 feet above the sea, the Hetch -Hetchy floor about 3,700; the walls of both are of gray granite, rise abruptly out of the flowery grass and groves are sculptured in the same style, and in both every rock is a glacial monument. Reservoir releases also generate hydropower that San Francisco uses for . Restoring Hetch Hetchy could also come at an environmental cost. Hardin writes that the tragedy of the commons is that the conflict between the individual interests and the collective interest will always lead to the depletion of the commons, unless otherwise held in check (1968, pp. Then What? 8. If you're thinking about visiting Hetch Hetchy during your Yosemite vacation, these pros, cons, and views may help you decide whether to go. This, coupled with many accounts that say the beauty and grandeur of the valley rivaled that of its sister, Yosemite Valley, just makes it worse. He convinced Theodore Roosevelt, president at the time, to go camping with him in Yosemite to get Roosevelts support for the National park. Rosekrans had previously worked at the Environmental Defense Fund, a New York-based environmental advocacy nonprofit, where he was lead author of the 2004 report Paradise Regained: Solutions for Restoring Yosemites Hetch Hetchy Valley. CONTENT. A society as advanced as the humans on earth must have areas of wilderness regulated by the government. This few is that whatever man had been taking from nature it only used it for what was, They feel that being able to enjoy the natural beauty of the world was more beneficial to humanity than collecting resources from it and destroying it in the process. Encountered a bear meandering down the trail towards us about a 1/2 mile from the fork to go up left . There are already info-structure issues before San Francisco, such as required earthquake retrofits. Today, however, that valley is under 300 feet of water. There was no distinction between wilderness, National Forests or National Parks. The Sierra Club also built a visitor and education center in 1898. . When Spreck Rosekrans visits Hetch Hetchy the valley in Yosemite National Park that San Francisco turned into a reservoir nearly a century ago he looks beyond what is. Effective at low speeds: Water has a density 1,000 times greater than air, making it possible to generate electricity at low speeds. Muir believed that people coming back from the rough backwoods will support the protection of Yosemite National Park. These two viewpoints came into conflict when the Hetch Hetchy project was proposed to create a water supply above San Francisco. Carter uses phrases such as most unforgettable and humbling experience, flooded with life, and once-in-a-lifetime wild life spectacle to describe the true beauty of nature for which the reader can relate to. Over the years it has become a passion. 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. Hetch Hetchy is just 15 miles north of Yosemite Valley and the two are often called twins. Their arguments are curiously like those of the devil, devised for the destruction of the first garden. So when all of those people go and pass through they decided to put yuma on the map. The Hetch Hetchy Valley and Reservoir in Yosemite National Park, a system that is operated by the San Francisco Public . Robin Meadows covers water for the Monitor. Hetch Hetchy Debate Pros And Cons. Basically, this method of power generation uses water, which is a free . Attraction of tourists. This created conflicts between the Conservationists and the Preservationists over the thought of building a dam in Hetch Hetchy. The rights were acquired in the late 1880s, the dams construction began in 1921 and completed in 1923. The two books give near contemporary accounts of the Hetch Hetchy dam, one by the engineer in charge of building it. Meanwhile, the population has nearly doubled. Aldo Leopold discusses these dangers in his essay, Good Oak, suggesting solutions to prevent them and improve the environment in the process. Copyright 2023 IPL.org All rights reserved. In todays time, these feuds are highly controversial. The leaders of the tribe say that Washington never considered their concerns, as required by the federal law (Worland). Eighty-five percent of the water comes from Sierra Nevada snowmelt stored in the Hetch Hetchy reservoir situated on the Tuolumne River in Yosemite National Park. in addition, he dedicated four decades of all his knowledge to his community. There is no question in my mind that historical precedence goes to San Francisco in keeping the reservoir right where it is. The pipeline is called the Dakota Access Pipeline project and is being built by the Energy Transfer Partners company. According to Restore Hetch Hetchy, Lake Eleanor is not part of their plan or goal. By being able to connect socially and politically Pinchot was able to push his agenda to improve environmental, The plan that has been proposed by Bybee Logging Company is, a reckless proposal, the Bybee Timber Sale, which involves national forest land on the edge of Crater Lake National Park (Environment Oregon). . Maybe well find a legal one, allowing all parties to see alternative ways to handle the water system that would benefit both San Francisco AND visitors to Yosemite. I asked them where they stood on the issue of restoring Hetch Hetchy Valley. United States. The Hetch Hetchy Project controversy brought into sharp relief the difference between conservation and preservation. This topic is highly controversial because of the negative impacts it causes on the environment, the political issues, and economic benefits. In most areas of the country municipal water must be filtered AND treated. The state constitution says all water use must be reasonable, Rosekrans said. Throughout the documentary, Leopolds biographer. I would never put Hetch Hetchy where it is, but the fix itself would be destructive somewhere else, said Laura Tam, sustainable development policy director of SPUR, a San Francisco-based nonprofit dedicated to urban planning in the Bay Area. . [emailprotected]. Will the San Joaquin River Restoration Project persists of improving or deteriorating Californias drought? Every person uses the commons in accordance with their individual interests. Many of these floods are very hard, because they may end up changing their way of flow or the insane amount of damage not only to the Dams and rivers but too the people as well. Instead, he envisions what once was and could be again. As a reservoir, Hetch Hetchy is part of a system that provides water to 2.4 million people in the San Francisco Bay Area. Others believe that itll benefit the economy and will not have major impact on the environment. Pinchot during this time understood that raging forest fires occurring in certain areas of the country was one aspect that needed to be fixed. of 5. Jay Lund, director of the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences, thinks so. Like we said, Hetch Hetchy is in the northwestern section of Yosemite National Park. A non-technical solution is one that uses other means such as legislation and education to solve the problems with the commons by changing peoples values or morals (Hardin, 1968, pp. The Hetchy Dam controversy of the early 1900's was a debate that shaped how America has dealt with the environment since. Its not going to be easy or simple and, maybe, not even feasible. Hetch Hetchy doesn't require permit, you need just regular National park pass. They would need to reoperate the others and make additional investments. 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. It pitted Gifford Pinchot, America's first forester, against John Muir, America's legendary conservationist.. I imagine a meadow, dotted with oak, pine, and fir trees, and with the Tuolumne River meandering through it, said Rosekrans, executive director of Restore Hetch Hetchy, a Berkeley-based nonprofit. Mountain in the Clouds showed clearly the problems that are occurring and opens peoples eyes to. You might say mining was a decent thing to help the environment financially, but a lot of the times after people were done mining they left the environment a mess including the rivers and its banks. Building a dam on the Tuolumne River at Hetch . Bringing to light the question of progress or plants (for this purpose it is a generic term encompassing various flora and fauna)? Hetch Hetchy water travels 160 miles via gravity from . Started at the dam, CCW on Friday 10/14, late arrival had us starting at 4PM. 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. JI & SP: Today, Hetch Hetchy Valley is a dammed and flooded reservoir. need to think this through better) The Keystone Pipeline has been debated for sometime now. Reliable: Dams are used to create a clean, reliable, and efficient source of energy compared to other sources of energy. Have all students read the debate overview and page one of the HR 7207, the "Raker Bill". Its not just San Francisco.. This park is more than mere scenic opportunities; it is a virtual wonderland wrought by yesteryear. 7. 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. The Public Works Administration (PWA) funded a major increase in the height of the O'Shaughnessy Dam, which creates Hetch Hetchy Reservoir. That said, the board does not support either side in the Hetch Hetchy debate. We have estimated the cost to be $B 2.0 over 50 years primarily for water supply, water quality and hydropower replacement. It is recommended that the water is either boiled for 5 minutes before drinking, heavily filtered, or an iodine based purifier is used.. The dam made irrigation, This year has been really hectic, with protests and elections alike. It was left to individuals in the various offices to apply the progressive or preservationist flavor to a request as they saw fit. So San Francisco won the day, fair and square. 4. The debate over the Hetch Hetchy dam was about whether preserving the environment the way it is or using our natural resources efficiently had more value to human society.
Police Activity In Burbank Right Now,
Steve Dulcich Farm Earlimart Ca,
Articles H
hetch hetchy dam pros and cons