However, the steep terrain, sharp curves, and heavy . 3. List of the Advantages of Dams. These arguments were brought before congress to make a decision about the fate of the valley. Hetch Hetchy Valley, far from being a plain, common, rock-bound meadow, as many who have not seen it seem to suppose, is a grand landscape garden, one of Natures rarest and most precious mountain temples. Posted on May 6, 2013 by Galen Hiltbrand. The brought and gave good to yuma and went through the colorado river because yuma was mostly a flood plain at a constant level. Note: you may use the handout or navigate to our feature on the Hetch Hetchy Environmental Debates to access the overview and copy of the Raker Bill. Feb 13, 2022. The rights were acquired in the late 1880s, the dams construction began in 1921 and completed in 1923. need to think this through better) The Keystone Pipeline has been debated for sometime now. There are already info-structure issues before San Francisco, such as required earthquake retrofits. Hetch Hetchy is unique because of its small holding capacity in comparison to the vast watershed feeding it. So more people started to stay and the town's population became bigger. Is there some filtering or treatment now being applied that wasnt when your flyer was written? Provide at least two arguments supporting your position. Which gave a giant increase to yuma county. Hetch Hetchy Environmental Debates. Pinchots legacy was the creation of managed wilderness lands that could be used by humans in their survival. One of the most positives outcomes was that came from the control of the colorado river was that the crops were able to be saved because the unpredictable floods were no longer occurring. It was named by Josiah Whitney (after his daughter) in the 1860s. 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. The reservoir is about a 1-hour drive from both Groveland and Yosemite Village. I see that in July of 2010 an article on SFGATE.com (by Kelly Zito of the Chronicle at http://www.sfgate.com/green/article/Anti-dam-group-questions-Hetch-Hetchy-water-3257983.php), expressed that same concern. Tribal activists say that the pipeline could pollute their main water supply and would destroy a historic burial ground. However, not until 1987 under President Reagan did hope resurfaced that we may actually get it back. Then in 1913, when it was reconsidered, the Raker Act was passed. When the gold rush happen they put yuma on the map. Guide to Visiting Hetch Hetchy . 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. We cant build more dams as long as the radical environmental laws make their construction impossible(McClintock). So San Francisco won the day, fair and square. In addition, if the building of two roads were to go near or go through a body of water they would harm the environment of the salmon. Its very clean; theres very little sediment. The water is disinfected with ultraviolet light but, in contrast to almost all other reservoirs in the U.S., filtration is not required. My personal Yosemite tales, knowledge and park information. . Giving a Dam: Congress Debates Hetch Hetchy. 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. Effective at low speeds: Water has a density 1,000 times greater than air, making it possible to generate electricity at low speeds. The dam made irrigation, This year has been really hectic, with protests and elections alike. "Dam Hetch Hetchy! Write an opinion piece (e.g. Basically, this method of power generation uses water, which is a free . (510) 839-1608 Historical photographs show why: like Yosemite Valley, Hetch Hetchy has sheer granite walls that originally rose dramatically from a wide valley floor. Everyone has at least seen or heard of an argument or dispute involving the environment. A rational person will always follow their individual interests unless their portion of the cost of collective interests is more than the cost of their individual interests. The two books give near contemporary accounts of the Hetch Hetchy dam, one by the engineer in charge of building it. Hardin defines individual interests as the uses a logical, self-interested person sees for the commons to further his or her personal gain (1968, pp. Sure, Restore Hetch Hetchy had some suggestions, but San Francisco has to do the research; they know what functionality they need. He wrote the book, A Sand County Almanac. That will determine whether or not it is feasible. Pinchot made efforts to understand the physical and biological background behind forest fires and this would impress politicians and those who were involved in the environmental field. Supporters of the appeal include Barbara Griffin and Robert Binnewies, both former superintendents of Yosemite National Park. The reason why DAPL is important is because of the fact that it is running over ancient indian land, and not only that it is going over their water source.The clean water the Sioux once had could be gone in just a few months with DAPL going over the standing rocks water (Michael Bennet). Hetch Hetchy Reservoir. . Wilderness belongs to you. By california standards, hetch hetchy is not a large reservoir. This grossly destructive commercial scheme has long been planned and urged (though water as pure and abundant can be got from sources outside of the peoples park, in a dozen different places), because of the comparative cheapness of the dam and of the territory which it is sought to divert from the great uses to which it was dedicated in the Act of 1890 establishing the Yosemite National Park. It is recommended that the water is either boiled for 5 minutes before drinking, heavily filtered, or an iodine based purifier is used.. 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. 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. In most areas of the country municipal water must be filtered AND treated. As well dam for water-tanks the peoples cathedrals and churches, for no holier temple has ever been consecrated by the heart of man. Current conditions of LAKE OR RESERVOIR WATER SURFACE ELEVATION ABOVE NGVD 1929 and RESERVOIR STORAGE are available. But there are signs all over Yosemite about not drinking the water because of the Giardia parasites. Between 1850 and 1910, forests were cleared at a rate, 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. . NEXT. This November, a group of environmental advocates will put forth a ballot measure that would require the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission to develop a plan to drain Hetch Hetchy. In fact . Final we learn if mans ownership of land compared to those who also inhabitant it is more important. 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. If you don't look at the dam and think about how it holds back the Tuolumne River and covers a valley that John Muir compared (pre-dam) to Yosemite Valley, it actually looks like another beautiful Yosemite mountain lake. Hetch Hetchy Valley as a repository for the water from the Tuolumne River belongs to San Francisco, et al. John Muir was the main proponent for the preservationists. With negatives comes positives, in this case the hoover dam helped us control the colorado river which was and still is one our main resources. USA.gov, The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration Water quality issues would have to be addressed if Hetch Hetchy water were put into the Don Pedro reservoir, of course. There is no question in my mind that historical precedence goes to San Francisco in keeping the reservoir right where it is. Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, California, USA. 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. Stated in one of his essays This grossly destructive commercial scheme has long been planned and urged, because of the comparative cheapness of the dam. Not only was that bad for the environmental movement, but also many people did not know how to act in the national parks. Today, however, that valley is under 300 feet of water. BAY AREA MONITOR He argued that conservationists only wished to dam Hetch Hetchy as it would be low cost and saw no value in its natural state. If you're doing all of the main Yosemite things, such as stopping at Tunnel View or doing the Yosemite Valley Tram Tour, you'll need to head north and exit the Park through the Big Oak Flat entrance. This topic is highly controversial because of the negative impacts it causes on the environment, the political issues, and economic benefits. I asked them where they stood on the issue of restoring Hetch Hetchy Valley. 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. In 2012, Restore Hetch Hetchy placed a measure on the San Francisco ballot that would have required the city to conduct an $8 million study on the impacts of draining the reservoir. Both Kyl and McCain do a good job of presenting their claims to support their interests. Hetch Hetchy, Unsung Hero of the National Park Service In this post from July 8, 2015, I discuss some of the history of how a dam and reservoir could be placed in a National Park. 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. Wilderness is a type of protection given to the most pristine wildlands left on Earth areas within national parks, forests, recreation areas and other wildlands where there are no roads or development. Important Legacy real-time page. The valley is in Yosemite National park would deliver power and water to the city over 100 miles away. 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. Brown mentions many ways to fix the ever growing problem at hand, and at the time, most seemed very radical. 1245). Their system is mostly gravity driven, and it would remain so. Other articles where Hetch Hetchy Reservoir is discussed: dam: Rise of environmental and economic concerns: San Francisco to build a reservoir in Hetch Hetchy Valley. In the 1800s, that number of tress and forests decreased tremendously because expansion and progression recklessly exploited natural resources by clear-cutting forest to use wood for fuel and building supplies. However, even if Hetch Hetchy Reservoir is drained (with its water to be stored elsewhere and the valley restoration begins), Yosemite will still not be whole. Lake Eleanor is another reservoir with another Dam and within the boundary of Yosemite National Park and also part of the Hetch Hetchy water system for San Francisco. When Mountain in the Clouds was written, the removal of a huge dam thats been around for years seemed impossible. If the dams were not built then till this day there would still be and uncontrollable and an uncontrollable, In response to this discussion, Senators Kyl and McCain wrote the article, An Endless Tribal Water Fight, in hopes of defending the intentions of their bill. Although Hetch Hetchy Reservoir is the most well-known, it stores less than 25% of the system's water. The pipeline is essentially the fourth step of the Keystone Pipeline System. Ecocentrism is an environmental point of view that . pp. In contrast, the recreational value of a restored valley is estimated to be $B 8.7 over 50 years far greater than the cost of making it possible. The trial court ruled in San Franciscos favor in 2016, saying that California courts lack jurisdiction over Hetch Hetchy because the dam there was approved by Congress. But after a change of administration at the White House and the 1906 earthquake, sentiments in favor of San Francisco grew. 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. But whenever we did have floodings the cost was very high to try and building and fixing it back up. Spreck Rosekrans said, Yes, certain system improvements are required to keep SF whole with respect to water and power. Water data back to 1930 are available online. The public lands in the context of 1908 and 1913 when the merits were debated, included ALL federally held lands whether wilderness, forests or national parks. Water flows can be controlled to a certain extent. Answer #1. Ultimately, pro-reservoir forces won, and in 1913 Congress passed the Raker Act, which granted San . Yet, on September 19th, 2011 the demolition of the dam began and was the largest dam removal in history. The dam had been built in the early 20s and remained there, blocking the flow of the river for about 100 years before it was finally taken down. The first great American conservation movement was born during the Progressive Era out of the concern that industrial growth and urban development threatened to extinguish America's wilderness. However, the term was really able to come to prominence after economist Garret Hardin invoked the analogy in his 1968 paper Science. Ive tried to be fair in the presentation of the issue, but have made clear which side of the fence I daggle my feet. The name Hetch Hetchy is derived from a Sierra Miwok word for a type of wild grass. 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. 4. 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. The values are at the heart of our legal petition filed April 21, 2015. In the 1600s when Europeans began to settle in North America, there were 1037 million acres of forestland. The Tuolumne River was dammed 100 years ago in Hetch Hetchy Valley to create a reservoir of drinking water for residents of San Francisco and the Peninsula. India. The dam in Hetch Hetchy Valley would subsequently be named in his honor. The Time article A High-Plains Showdown Over the Dakota Access Pipeline by Justin Worland talks about a controversy over a 1,200-mile pipeline stretching from North Dakota to Illinois. SOLUTIONS. Which made yuma need more food and money and that is where irrigation come out of to help make more, With the Colorado River dammed, it drives away all of the steamer boat companies in Yuma that were using the Colorado as a source of transportation of cargo, goods and passengers. The debate featured those for the proposed dam the conservationists and those opposed the preservationists. Ultimately, Muir lost in his long battle to protect Hetch Hetchy, but what was established was that to infringe upon the resources of the national parks was simply not worth the money and time because of the long legal battle that would occur. Donald Hodel, then Secretary of the Interior, suggested that the time might be ripe to remove the OShaughnessy Dam that holds back the Tuolumne River creating the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir. The areas of land that have unmanaged ecosystems, where humans are not allowed to disturb, are places that the government set boundaries, named, and created regulations for. Leopold begins small in part I, he talks about this circle of life with animals and plants all playing a part and owning the land. Something that had to do with the protests part is the Dakota Access Pipeline, or DAPL. When people are not aware of where their energy comes from, it threatens their values and ideals. Considering Glen Coles statement in A New Environmental Ethics on Yellowstone National Park, The primary purpose of Yellowstone National Park is to preserve natural ecosystems, In his journal he makes it clear between his distinction of conservation and sustainable use. Engineers came to try to protect the low flow, valleys, flooding and stable, The book had a great impact on the Elwha River and was cited, both as an inspiration and as cold, hard evidence, by the first advocates for dam removal. This lead to one of the biggest events in US history, which was the removal of the Elwha Dam about 30 years after the book was written. 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 dont need to live with mistakes of the past. The dam had been completed by the city of San Francisco in 1923, after years of controversy over flooding the magnificent Hetch Hetchy Valley, the smaller twin of Yosemite Valley. 1970 ford torino for sale; federal premium barnes tsx 300 win mag 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. There is a waiver for FILTERING but not for TREATMENT. In my opinion I am . Trash was left behind by almost everyone who mined, and that really affected the environment. Divide the class into four small groups. His greatest idea was the land ethic. A quote from the movie says: All ethics so far evolved rest upon a single premise that the individual is a member of a community of individual partsland ethic includes soils, waters, plants and animals. Although, Leopold died in 1948, his ideas are still current. Hardin defines a technical solution as one that uses science or technology to save the commons (1968, pp. The responsibility for alleviating the situation fell on the department of the Interiors Bureau of Reclamation. Pg.11 They noticed how bad the situation was so they tried stopping it. Pros: The damming and flooding of Hetch Hetchy, which is a portion of Yosemite National Park, is by far the biggest harm our national parks have ever seen. The Don Pedro reservoir, downstream from Hetch Hetchy, on the Tuolumne River, currently has the capacity to hold ALL the water in the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir. 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. In 1961 they all participated in an expansion of the reservoir creating a larger dam increasing storage from just short of 300,000 acre-feet to a bit over 2,000,000 acre-feet. Generally, hydropower is the one of the oldest and most renewable sources of energy in the world today. Therefore, this proves that Bybee Logging Company would cause an act of infringement to the Antiquities Act. Select from premium Hetch Hetchy Dam of the highest quality. In todays time, these feuds are highly controversial. Guess who owns millions of acres of American wildlands? 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. The balttle over hetch hetchy robert w. The club continues opening National Parks, building monuments and dams in rivers and protecting the sequoia trees in many other parks (The Sierra Club). Not only would restoration make Yosemite entire once more, but would also encourage others that we don't have to continue making . Jay Lund, director of the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences, thinks so. He also gives the specific dilemma that, The Hetchy Dam controversy of the early 1900s was a debate that shaped how America has dealt with the environment since. 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). Hetch Hetchy is an iconic, uncommon, and stunning terrain. Many worry that it will intrude on property rights, while others believe that it will be a danger to the environment. Muir believed that people coming back from the rough backwoods will support the protection of Yosemite National Park. For example, raising a dam on another reservoir in the system could flood another stretch of the Tuolumne River that, while outside Yosemite National Park, is designated as a national Wild and Scenic River. The new 68-mile (109 km) railroad wound its way up the narrow canyon of the Tuolumne River past sharp curves and up steep 4% grades. Have San Francisco look into it. The Progressive Eras most controversial environmental issue was the 19081913 struggle over federal government approval for building the Hetch Hetchy dam in a remote corner of federally-owned land in Californias Yosemite National Park. So they used it for irrigation which gave them more farm land. 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. The Fresno appellate court disagreed. This natural beauty-hunger is made manifest in the little window-sill gardens of the poor, though perhaps only a geranium slip in a broken cup, as well as in the carefully tended rose and lily gardens of the rich, the thousands of spacious city parks and botanical gardens, and in our magnificent National parksthe Yellowstone, Yosemite, Sequoia, etc.Natures sublime wonderlands, the admiration and joy of the world. The money was used for city to make more towns. Hetch Hetchy doesn't require permit, you need just regular National park pass. If the logging of Crater Lake is to impel, many of the natural treasures in the park would be wiped out and unsuitable as a wilderness destination (Juillerat, OPB). Department of the interior. Commons can be either depleted as a source, as in deforestation, or polluted as a sink, as in pollution of the atmosphere (1968, 1245). students will explore the divisions this controversy exposed within the conservation movement by using teacher selected documents and text representative of both sides of the debate along with actual records of the congressional hearings held to decide the valley's fate. As Leopold moves along in A Sand County Almanac, the reader finally understands the full scale of thought that is placed in front of them. Up to 24% cash back (the hetch hetchy was a part of yosemite national park.) He argued that conservationists only wished to dam Hetch Hetchy as it would be low cost and saw no value in its natural state. His sorrow and melancholy mood towards the possible destruction of the stunning ecosystem is obvious: I was saddened to think of the tragedy that might occur if this great wilderness was consumed by a web of roads and pipelines, drilling rigs and industrial facilities. Additionally, Carter appeals to the nation by choosing words such as, tremendous opposition by the American people, symbol of our national heritage, and it will be a grand triumph for America to give the reader a feeling of importance towards this problem. This flood ended up changing the flow of the water uncontrollable and ended up leading into the Imperial Valley. but rather that I saw more pros than cons in building the dam. Ive posted on this subject a number of times (see the links below). 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 . The Continuing Battle Over Hetch Hetchy In this final post from April 7, 2016, I reflect on the aftermath of the construction of the dam. Low maintenance cost: Although the cost of construction is very high, they have low operational and maintenance cost. He was able to see firsthand the damage humans were causing. United States. The ideas expressed in this book transcend generation to generation. Are you aware of any further testing to pin point the comparatively high rate of contamination in areas serviced by Hetch Hetchy water?. Theodore roosevelt approved the concept of the o'shaughnessy dam, which ultimately created the hetch hetchy reservoir within yosemite. Donald Hodel, then Secretary of the Interior, suggested that . There is a lot of background information about the Keystone as well that it has an environmental and economic impacts. In the end Congress chose management over aesthetics, voting 4325 (with 29 abstentions) to allow the Hetch Hetchy dam on federal land. Historical photographs show why: like Yosemite Valley, Hetch Hetchy has sheer granite walls that originally rose dramatically from a wide valley floor. This fight set the stage for future battles between those who believed natural resources were to be used for the greatest good versus . So the water is officially considered to be safer than most water sources, but not safe to drink unfiltered and untreated. Taking a long view, I look at what we might do with a restored Hetch Hetchy in this post from August 6, 2015. Their arguments are curiously like those of the devil, devised for the destruction of the first garden.
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