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. Considering the context of the hetch hetchy debate at the time,. Pros: 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. In July of this year, the judges affirmed the previous ruling in favor of San Francisco: The trial court correctly concluded Restore Hetch Hetchys claims are preempted under federal law.. Meanwhile, the population has nearly doubled. Ive tried to be fair in the presentation of the issue, but have made clear which side of the fence I daggle my feet. So the water is officially considered to be safer than most water sources, but not safe to drink unfiltered and untreated. It uses a free resource. . The commons are essentially Earths finite resources such as water resources, forest resources, fish stock, energy, and endangered species. Dams are controversial among environmentalists, providing water and clean energybut destroying and fragmenting habitat. Knowledge of high and low tide cycles can help a tidal power plant construct an efficient system for generating electricity. A society as advanced as the humans on earth must have areas of wilderness regulated by the government. Restoration would not only make Yosemite whole once again it would inspire people that we don't need to live with . Other reservoirs are potential "holding tanks" for water for the San . It is hard NOT to get inspired by the beauty of this park. How feasible is restoration? We argued that the reservoir is not reasonable because the value of the restored valley is greater than the cost of changing the water system. At the time, they put the recreational value of the restoration at up to $8.8 billion and the cost of water system changes at $2 billion, both over 50 years. 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. He wrote the book, A Sand County Almanac. Basically, that is what the petition (suit) filed by Restore Hetch Hetchy is all about; that is, to come up with a plan to rework the water system so that Hetch Hetchy Valley does not need to be used to store the water. Other supporters of the appeal include the State Water Resources Control Board. According to the California Department of Water Resources, it would cost $65 million to properly study the pros and cons of draining Hetch Hetchy. Today, hetch hetchy valley is a dammed and flooded reservoir. 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. A little more research and a clearer explanation of the pros and cons of the Prop, as well as possible reasons for the lack of clarity to voters, is in order, based on quotes the writer . Commons can be either depleted as a source, as in deforestation, or polluted as a sink, as in pollution of the atmosphere (1968, 1245). Feel free to comment, like, or share. There are other posts on the plight of Hetch Hetchy at Yosemite Tales. Next well ask for a review from the state Supreme Court.. 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. Moreover, the stated term is typically located in Northwestern part of the National Park of Yosemite. 1245). 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. Legal issues aside, is it theoretically possible to change the Hetch Hetchy water system? Brown mentions many ways to fix the ever growing problem at hand, and at the time, most seemed very radical. I also reached out to San Francisco Water Public Records (SFWATER.ORG) for their views on the issue. 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. John Muir believed that nature was an example of the power of god and creation, and that the use of nature through management was an act of defamation. However, the term was really able to come to prominence after economist Garret Hardin invoked the analogy in his 1968 paper Science. Due to the fact the logging company would be harming natural lands of the national, According to Jared Prince, The three purposes of the club - recreation, conservation, and education and are still major objectives of the club today (Prince). The Bay Area Monitor thanks Craig Newmark Philanthropies for funding support of this site. 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. This topic is highly controversial because of the negative impacts it causes on the environment, the political issues, and economic benefits. After the built the dam farm land increased by a lot. Bill McEwen publishes this article in the Fresno Bee, located in Fresno, because he believes the project subsists unhelpful. HETCH HETCHY RES A HETCH HETCHY CA. You own barren desert plains and looming jagged mountain peaks. Against Pipeline Pros And Cons 120 Words | 1 Pages. He argued that conservationists only wished to dam Hetch Hetchy as it would be low cost and saw no value in its natural state. 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. It was deeded to them in a duly enacted act of Congress in 1913. Made eco-friendly with 100% Free Range recycled pixels. India. But rather that i saw more pros than cons in building the dam. One of the positive impacts was the increase of irrigation in yuma. Agencies Accelerate Efforts to Build Transit-Oriented Development, San Francisco Public Utilities Commission. Not only was that bad for the environmental movement, but also many people did not know how to act in the national parks. Water quality would remain high. Instead, he envisions what once was and could be again. There is a waiver for FILTERING but not for TREATMENT. Today, however, that valley is under 300 feet of water. 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. 01 of 05. The club also established many other National Parks like the Mt. 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. In late 2016, the Obama administration designated an area in southeastern Utah as Bears Ears National Monument. 1245). These arguments were brought before congress to make a decision about the fate of the valley. Causing more land to appear to use. The area where the Hetch Hetchy project was to take place was an established part of a national park and therefore off limits for human use. Hetch Hetchy is an iconic, uncommon, and stunning terrain. 4. He felt that the act conflicted with the conditions of the Yosemite Act of 1890 that made it a park in the first place. But with them building the dam the water level would lower down making it harder to be at a safe distance from the ground. Raquel Coelho de Matos 2 Dissertao de . It was named by Josiah Whitney (after his daughter) in the 1860s. Though it took a while to respond, they were very cordial. Local job creation. But changing the system would be jaw-droppingly expensive. Photo by Isaiah West Taber. 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. 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. However, pumps and filtration could be added at a fraction of what Restore Hetch Hetchy says would be the benefit of a restored valley. Others believe that itll benefit the economy and will not have major impact on the environment. There doesnt seem to be financial or business need within their own sphere of financial responsibility forcing the city to consider relocating the water storage. Energy powers many of the things key to life. Ultimately, pro-reservoir forces won, and in 1913 Congress passed the Raker Act, which granted San . Hetch Hetchy water used in cities has always been treated, at least in recent decades. Again, San Francisco Water Public Records did not respond to the argument In Favor of Restoration, so let me share what I have learned from various resources. Divide the class into four small groups. The Hetch Hetchy water system includes other reservoirs, and the one in Hetch Hetchy Valley stores only about a quarter of the water San Francisco gets from the Tuolumne River. 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. Started at the dam, CCW on Friday 10/14, late arrival had us starting at 4PM. 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. 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. 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. 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 would be much easier to fight for restoration if we had some bad guys to rally against, but I dont see any. So when all of those people go and pass through they decided to put yuma on the map. In re applications of A. H. Ward and Mariposa electrical . 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. Hardin defines the commons as finite, usually natural, resources that are shared and freely accessible to everyone (1968, pp. He is arguing that the conservationist only care about the real dollar cost for the project without consideration for what will be, Environments today that we consider as natural or wilderness are not particularly wild or natural. 2. . I also asked San Francisco Water Public Records the following: 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 Reservoir and its encompassing valley have a mild climate year-round and one of Yosemite's longest hiking . 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. 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. McEwen, 1972 Fresno High graduate, attended Fresno State and majored in Journalism. Are you aware of any further testing to pin point the comparatively high rate of contamination in areas serviced by Hetch Hetchy water?. He argued that conservationists only wished to dam Hetch Hetchy as it would be low cost and saw no value in its natural state. My personal Yosemite tales, knowledge and park information. Located more than 900 metres (3,000 feet) above sea level, the Hetch Hetchy site offered a good storage location in the Sierra Nevada for water that could be delivered without pumping to San Francisco via an aqueduct nearly . Fresno transpires as one of the fastest growing population county, and they accustomed to obtaining high temperatures. Rainer National Park and Glacier National Park. SOLUTIONS. Then in 1913, when it was reconsidered, the Raker Act was passed. The hearing considers an amendment to the Raker Act that authorized the dam. used tiffin motorhomes . 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. . I asked them where they stood on the issue of restoring Hetch Hetchy Valley. 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. With that, San Francisco looses its gravity-fed, filtration-free water source as well as some Hydro-electric generation (at least by a measurable degree). The Hetch Hetchy Dam is destroying a piece of land that is the homes of multiple types of animals. Reliable: Dams are used to create a clean, reliable, and efficient source of energy compared to other sources of energy. Though the article demonstrated (at least, to me) that there were political retorts on both sides of the issue, the fact that the contracted giardiasis rates were higher than in other areas of California was not contested.
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