Emma Odom Hetch Hetchy Dam Environmental Debate The Hetch Hetchy Dam in Yosemite's national park is the focal point of a battle between the city of San Francisco, which built the dam almost a century ago, and environmentalists, who want it to be torn down. I think I can partially answer your question. west seattle explosion today Divide the class into four small groups. 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. Hetch Hetchy Valley as a repository for the water from the Tuolumne River belongs to San Francisco, et al. 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. In the essay Thinking Like A Mountain, Aldo Leopold tell us how important is sustainability. Not only does it supply 85 percent of the water for 2.6 million people in San Francisco, controlled releases via the O'Shaughnessy Dam are helping preserve downstream specieseven in dry years. Before the construction of O'Shaughnessy Dam could commence, the city completed a 70-foot (21 m) high dam at Lake Eleanor to provide water for the Early Intake Powerhouse, which was necessary to provide electricity for the construction site of the larger dam. They would lose about 20% of their hydropower. Hetch Hetchy Reservoir | reservoir, Yosemite National Park, California Lund estimates that being able to forego filtration saves the SFPUC $1 or $2 billion every year. It pitted Gifford Pinchot, America's first forester, against John Muir, America's legendary conservationist.. 497 Words2 Pages. The river later turned away flowing West, and led into the Southern California Salton Sink river. The manmade Hetch Hetchy Reservoir in Yosemite National Park provides water to the city of San Francisco through a gravity-fed pipe system that spans California's vast central valley. In 1913, President Woodrow Wilson signed legislation approving the construction of the O'Shaughnessy Dam to inundate the Hetch Hetchy Valley inside Yosemite National Park. In a brief filed with the appellate court, they said, The trial court did not determine that the continued use of the dam and reservoir was reasonable rather, it concluded that the question could not be examined at all. In other words, they say the trial court did not address the substance of Restore Hetch Hetchys argument. Increase in food production capacities. 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). As well dam for water-tanks the people's cathedrals and churches, for no holier temple has ever been consecrated by the heart of man." . 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. of 3. You may take easy hike to Wapama falls ( around 6 miles) or even more challenging hike to Rancheria falls ( around 14 miles). Provide at least two arguments supporting your position. Pinchot would soon face opposition from ranchers and miners that began to hurt his position on conservation. The making of gardens and parks goes on with civilization all over the world, and they increase both in size and number as their value is recognized. 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. But tearing down O'Shaughnessy Dam in order to restore Hetch Hetchy Valley would be a disaster. California should now spend money for, In the 1800s, the first national debate occurred over the idea of damming Hetch Hetchy. hetch hetchy valley. But with them building the dam the water level would lower down making it harder to be at a safe distance from the ground. That will determine whether or not it is feasible. A decade later the O'Shaughnessy Dam, the second largest civil engineering project of its day after the Panama Canal, was completed. However, the intentions of the Senate Bill are not ethical and efficient; instead of attempting to alleviate the issue of the scarcity of water, it is contributing to this problem by taking away the water that belonged to the tribes and giving it to coal, Also if some respected the movement, they did not take care of it because they saw no need to for a clean environment. Ever since the establishment of the Yosemite National Park, strife has been going on around its borders and I suppose this will go on as part of the universal battle between right and wrong, however much its boundaries may be shorn, or its wild beauty destroyed. Meanwhile, the population has nearly doubled. The Hetch Hetchy Dam is destroying a piece of land that is the homes of multiple types of animals. The Hetch Hetchy Valley was within Yosemite National Park and . 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 RES A HETCH HETCHY CA - USGS Water Data for the Nation 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. After the built the dam farm land increased by a lot. The Hetch Hetchy Dam is the name of a popular reservoir and water system in the state of California. Current conditions of LAKE OR RESERVOIR WATER SURFACE ELEVATION ABOVE NGVD 1929 and RESERVOIR STORAGE are available. The Hetchy Dam controversy of the early 1900's was a debate that shaped how America has dealt with the environment since. 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. However, the steep terrain, sharp curves, and heavy . 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. Feature Photo: Brooks Andersons Hetch Hetchy: Requiem For a Valley, Ive been curious about the water purity issue and that one of the features of the Tuolumne River is its purity and that it could be delivered without filtration. Hetch Hetchy Debate Pros And Cons. The two books give near contemporary accounts of the Hetch Hetchy dam, one by the engineer in charge of building it. In fact . Today, however, that valley is under 300 feet of water. Legal issues aside, is it theoretically possible to change the Hetch Hetchy water system? The city of San Francisco, rebuilding after the devastating 1906 earthquake, believed the dam was necessary to meet its burgeoning needs for reliable supplies of water and electricity. NEXT. 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. 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 debate featured those for the proposed dam the conservationists and those opposed the preservationists. tuolumne river. In the end Congress chose management over aesthetics, voting 4325 (with 29 abstentions) to allow the Hetch Hetchy dam on federal land. He argued that conservationists only wished to dam Hetch Hetchy as it would be low cost and saw no value in its natural state. The pipeline is essentially the fourth step of the Keystone Pipeline System. 1. Copyright 2023 IPL.org All rights reserved. Do the State and Federal filtration standards that Hetch Hetchy Reservoir meets or exceeds include the standards necessary to eliminate the Giardia parasites? yosemite national park. The Sierra Club gained 1,000 members by 1908 and from them on continued to rise. Low maintenance cost: Although the cost of construction is very high, they have low operational and maintenance cost. Building a dam on the tuolumne river at hetch. On the other hand, there is also the collective interest, which is the concern for what is best for the society so that the commons can be preserved and maintained for future generations (Hardin, 1968, pp. That is why I think it is good that the issue is now before the courts. During the early 1900s there was a large debate in the United States concerning the proposed construction of the Hetch Hetchy dam. In a state wracked with drought, the Hetch Hetchy is an exception to the rule. 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 people in the Southwest tried getting the federal government's attention for help from all of the damage and work that needed to be done. Expert Help. However, the term was really able to come to prominence after economist Garret Hardin invoked the analogy in his 1968 paper Science. It would be much easier to fight for restoration if we had some bad guys to rally against, but I dont see any. The Battle over Hetch Hetchy - Google Books Due to the high intelligence level of human, we often think that we know what are the consequences of our action, and do things the way we like without knowing the real impact that we cause. Newest results. Proceedings before the secretary of the interior. (510) 839-1608 Theodore Roosevelt: Conservation As A National Duty introduces the problem of the lack of natural resources, and how are we going to fix the problem for future generations? He wrote the book, A Sand County Almanac. Hardin defines a technical solution as one that uses science or technology to save the commons (1968, pp. And Im in favor of that. It carried workers and materials for the dam, as well as tourists, postage and other amenities. Hetchy Dam Pros And Cons - 1025 Words | Internet Public Library By california standards, hetch hetchy is not a large reservoir. 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. Thus long ago a few enterprising merchants utilized the Jerusalem temple as a place of business instead of a place of prayer, changing money, buying and selling cattle and sheep and doves; and earlier still; the first forest reservation, including only one tree, was likewise despoiled. Arguments in Favor of Restoring Hetch Hetchy - Sierra Club List of the Advantages of Dams. Emma odom hetch hetchy dam environmental debate the hetch hetchy dam in yosemites national park is the. Why We Need Hetch Hetchy More Than Ever | SPUR Copyright 2014-2023 Yosemite Tales | Powered by WordPress | Design by Starry Night Web Designs. He felt that the act conflicted with the conditions of the Yosemite Act of 1890 that made it a park in the first place. On the global level, many people recognize the wisdom in preserving wilderness simply because the Earth itself is our home and should be respected and honored. In re applications of A. H. Ward and Mariposa electrical . . Taking a long view, I look at what we might do with a restored Hetch Hetchy in this post from August 6, 2015. 1244). Brown mentions many ways to fix the ever growing problem at hand, and at the time, most seemed very radical. The very idea that a dam and a reservoir was allowed and constructed within a National Park is repugnant. However, the source of that contamination is in contention and that more analysis was necessary. But rather that i saw more pros than cons in building the dam. 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. All these iconic wild places are part of your "great American backyard." It started with some basic facts; that it stores up to 117 billion gallons of drinking water; it is a clean, efficient water delivery system for 2.6 million residents daily; and it generates 1.6 billion kilowatt hours of clean hydroelectric power annually. I asked them where they stood on the issue of restoring Hetch Hetchy Valley. The regional water system provides water to 2.4 million people in San Francisco, Santa Clara, Alameda and San Mateo counties. 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. Mountain in the Clouds showed clearly the problems that are occurring and opens peoples eyes to. 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. Pinchot was a smart man and knew that if he wanted to gain the support from all over that he had to push his ideas not in an aggressive way. The era's most controversial environmental issue was the five-year struggle over federal approval for . 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. Lawsuit to drain Hetch Hetchy Reservoir goes back to court Supporters of the appeal include Barbara Griffin and Robert Binnewies, both former superintendents of Yosemite National Park. what are the pros and cons of the hetch hetchy dam - BRAINLY So more people started to stay and the town's population became bigger. Source: John Muir, The Yosemite (New York: Century, 1912), 255257, 260262. While the dam did drive away some business from Yuma, it also brought people and grew the cities of Yuma. Water data back to 1930 are available online. But after a change of administration at the White House and the 1906 earthquake, sentiments in favor of San Francisco grew. Leopold grew up in the 1800s when the railroads were being built and all the forests were being cut down to make room for them. Dams, aquifers and parks | Restore Hetch Hetchy . You own magnificent red-rock canyons and beautiful turquoise rivers. "Dam Hetch Hetchy! Mining was a huge activity of the mid to late 1800s that caused many people to travel west in search for gold. McEwen, a journalist, acquired a position in The Fresno Bee for 35 years. Hiking Hetch Hetchy: the unknown Yosemite National Park - 2TravelDads 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. People would save large amounts of money because it was not needed to be used on distillation payments. 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. Rebuttal to the Argument in Opposition to Restoration. The dam and reservoir are the source for the Hetch Hetchy Aqueduct, which provides water for over . CONTENT. USA.gov, The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration 2. . Ultimately, passage of the passage of the Raker Act in 1913 by Congress granted San Francisco the right to flood the Hetch Hetchy Valley. It is definitely worth to visit Hetch Hetchy area especially in 2021 when main Yosemite area requires booking permits in advance. Most people would probably think that the Dakota Access Pipeline is just another pipeline, like the Alaska pipeline, except, it's not just another pipeline. . Pinchots legacy was the creation of managed wilderness lands that could be used by humans in their survival. View Hetch-Hetchy from RMP 511 at University of New Hampshire. Because after they built a dam the water levels decreased. 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). 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. The Hetch Hetchy area closes at 5:00 p.m. for day-use visitors, and a permit is required for overnight camping or backpacking. Feel free to comment, like, or share. There are other posts on the plight of Hetch Hetchy at Yosemite Tales. A Map and Guide to Hetch Hetchy Reservoir at Yosemite - TripSavvy 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 . Assign each group to analyze one or more . "Dam Hetch Hetchy!": John Muir Contests the Hetch-Hetchy Dam You. McEwen, 1972 Fresno High graduate, attended Fresno State and majored in Journalism. They also cannot pass through because there is going to be a dam in there way. SOLUTIONS. Why is it so controversial? 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. It then outlined five features that form the keystone of this clean, efficient water and power delivery system: The flyer goes on to say that the system supplies their customers with water and power that is delivered by a greenhouse gas-free system.. 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. Your 50025 word paper should: Read each of the articles on the uploaded file. . See these: The Plight of Hetch Hetchy This section of the Yosemite History page begins the series of discussions on Hetch Hetchy. We arent going to solve our water problems until we begin building more dams. My personal Yosemite tales, knowledge and park information. Made eco-friendly with 100% Free Range recycled pixels. Hetch Hetchy water used in cities has always been treated, at least in recent decades. It is recommended that the water is either boiled for 5 minutes before drinking, heavily filtered, or an iodine based purifier is used. Which gave a giant increase to yuma county. Hetch Hetchy | Hetch Hetchy Dam & Reservoir History | Yosemite.com These two viewpoints came into conflict when the Hetch Hetchy project was proposed to create a water supply above San Francisco. repositorio-aberto.up.pt Dam Hetch Hetchy! India. That said, the board does not support either side in the Hetch Hetchy debate. On the other hand, Navajo representative, Ed Bencenti wrote the article, Senate Bill 2109 Seeks to Extinguish Navajo and Hopi Water Rights, in which he exposes the real intentions of the Senate Bill. John Muir was the main proponent for the preservationists. pros and cons of living in mackay; is alaska: the last frontier coming back in 2021; hillsborough county public schools employee handbook; index of series cheers; jack steward is he married. 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. United States. This would also mean that park of the national park would be flooded destroying the forest and nature living in the valley.The common view among americans was that is was in the most part for the greater good. Hetch-22. 3. of 5. Hardin defines the commons as finite, usually natural, resources that are shared and freely accessible to everyone (1968, pp. Giving a Dam: Congress Debates Hetch Hetchy - George Mason University Up to 24% cash back (the hetch hetchy was a part of yosemite national park.) May be crucial for the energy transition process. The Fresno appellate court disagreed. How feasible is restoration? The Hetch Hetchy Project controversy brought into sharp relief the difference between conservation and preservation. Today, hetch hetchy valley is a dammed and flooded reservoir. It is hard NOT to get inspired by the beauty of this park. Hetch Hetchy Dam Environmental Debate - Emma Odom Hetch Royalty-free Creative Video Editorial Archive Custom Content Creative Collections. Over the years it has become a passion. As well dam for water-tanks the people's cathedrals and churches, for no holier temple has ever been consecrated by the heart of man." John Muir, 1909. 1. The hearing considers an amendment to the Raker Act that authorized the dam. Don Pedro Reservoir, downstream on the Tuolumne River, holds 6 times as much water as Hetch Hetchy Reservoir. The Hetch Hetchy entrance to the park is a gateway to Yosemite Valley's breathtaking cousin. 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. Bill McEwen publishes this article in the Fresno Bee, located in Fresno, because he believes the project subsists unhelpful. : Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, 1968). Then What? . 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. The club also established many other National Parks like the Mt. Sure, Restore Hetch Hetchy had some suggestions, but San Francisco has to do the research; they know what functionality they need. But a dam was put up as a first step in the Hetch Hetchy project and was completed in 1918. He is arguing that the conservationist only care about the real dollar cost for the project without consideration for what will be. One claim in particular from the conservervation groups is, It says the logging requires building a road through two areas of virgin forest, which would make them ineligible for future wilderness designation (Juillerat, OPB). Hetch Hetchy Reservoir. Hetch Hetchy - full day or half day - Yosemite National Park Forum Pinchot stated that to be a good forester you must be a good citizen. 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. Don Pedro is operated by the Turlock and Modesto Irrigation Districts, but 1/3 of its volume is dedicated to a water supply bank for San Francisco. It was named by Josiah Whitney (after his daughter) in the 1860s. . The club continues opening National Parks, building monuments and dams in rivers and protecting the sequoia trees in many other parks (The Sierra Club). Although Hetch Hetchy Reservoir is the most well-known, it stores less than 25% of the system's water. Today, however, that valley is under 300 feet of water. The Hetch Hetchy Reservoir in Yosemite delivers water to 2.6 million Bay Area residents every day. Building a dam on the Tuolumne River at Hetch . San Francisco's water system, which includes Hetchy Hetchy, is expected to fill this winter for the first time since 2019. 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. Reprinted in Roderick Nash, The American Environment: Readings in The History of Conservation (Reading, Mass. Other supporters of the appeal include the State Water Resources Control Board. These arguments were brought before congress to make a decision about the fate of the valley. Hetch Hetchy hike offers stunning views and deep mystery - USA TODAY