Table of Contents
What was the Hetch Hetchy controversy?
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.
Who opposed the damming of Hetch Hetchy?
founder John Muir
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. In the end Congress chose management over aesthetics, voting 43–25 (with 29 abstentions) to allow the Hetch Hetchy dam on federal land.
What two environmental ethics was brought about during the Hetch Hetchy debate?
In 1913, the Hetch Hetchy Valley – located in Yosemite National Park in California – was the site of a conflict between two factions, one with an anthropocentric ethic and the other, a biocentric ethic. As the last American frontiers were settled, the rate of forest destruction started to concern the public.
Who opposed the construction of the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir?
They also approved a $45,000,000 bond in 1910 to be issued for the construction of all the water infrastructure. Both Secretaries of the Interior under the Taft administration, Richard A. Ballinger and Walter Fisher opposed construction of water infrastructure in the Hetch Hetchy valley.
Why was Hetch Hetchy damned?
There is another Grand Valley in Yosemite– the Hetch Hetchy Valley, but in 1913 the mayor of San Francisco decided to build a damn and flood the valley in order to provide water for California’s coastal residents.
Why is Hetch Hetchy important?
Hetch Hetchy is unique because of its small holding capacity in comparison to the vast watershed feeding it. 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 species—even in dry years.
What was the Hetch Hetchy Valley debate described in our text about?
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.
What was President Roosevelt’s role in Hetch Hetchy?
In 1908, Theodore Roosevelt’s Department of the Interior granted San Francisco the authority to dam the Tuolumne River in Hetch Hetchy Valley for use as a reservoir.
Does Hetch Hetchy dam still exist?
Hetch Hetchy is dammed by the 430-foot-tall O’Shaughnessy Dam and has a storage capacity of 360,360 acre-feet. It is the primary water source for about 2.5 million residents of the San Francisco Bay Area.
Could we dismantle Hetch Hetchy dam in Yosemite?
“The state of California Department of Water Resources report confirms that dismantling O’Shaugnessy Dam and draining the Hetch Hetchy reservoir are unwarranted and the cost is indefensible, particularly given the tremendous infrastructure needs facing our State,” the senator said in July 2006.
What did Theodore Roosevelt and John Muir disagree about?
The two men did not agree on all things. Roosevelt was a big game hunter, while Muir felt that wildlife, like wild places, must be protected.
Why is the U.S. removing dams?
Why Are Some Dams Being Removed? There has been a growing movement to remove dams where the costs – including environmental, safety, and socio-cultural impacts – outweigh the benefits – including hydropower, flood control, irrigation, or recreation – or where the dam no longer serves any useful purpose.
Why should we remove dams?
Removing obsolete or derelict dams gives rivers more access to natural features—like floodplains, wetlands, side channels and marshes—which can help: improve water quality; support healthier, native plant communities; enhance fish and wildlife habitat; create or enhance recreational opportunities; recharge important …
What would happen if the Hoover Dam was removed?
If catastrophe struck the Hoover Dam and it somehow broke, a catastrophic amount of water from Lake Mead would be released. That water would likely cover an area of 10 million acres (4 million hectares) 1 foot (30 centimeters) deep.
Why was the Hetch Hetchy dam controversial?
Hetch Hetchy represented the first great environmental controversy in the US, and debate over the dam and reservoir continues today. Preservationist groups such as the Sierra Club lobby for the restoration of the valley, while others argue that leaving the dam in place would be the better economic and environmental decision.
What is Hetch Hetchy known for?
Hetch Hetchy is the name of a valley, a reservoir and a water system in California in the United States. The glacial Hetch Hetchy Valley lies in the northwestern part of Yosemite National Park and is drained by the Tuolumne River.
Why was the Hetch Hetchy Act created?
President Woodrow Wilson signed the bill into law on December 19, 1913. Although the preservationists lost this battle, the damming of the Hetch Hetchy Valley raised public awareness about the importance of preserving nature, and helped justify the creation of the National Park Service in 1916. More Information:
Was John Muir wrong about Hetch Hetchy?
“On Hetch Hetchy, John Muir was wrong: California’s revered naturalist wrote a poetic diatribe against the drowning of the great valley. But the reservoir has spared it some of the indignities of Yosemite Valley”. Los Angeles Times.