Restore Hetch Hetchy

Fact vs. Fiction: Restoration Of Hetch Hetchy Valley in Yosemite National Park

2011-12-21T22:09:00.000-08:00

Fact vs. Fiction: Restoration Of Hetch Hetchy Valley in Yosemite National Park

It was great to hear Mike Marshall, Restore Hetch Hetchy Executive Director, and Congressman Dan Lungren on KQED radio today discussing the opportunity to restore Yosemite National Park’s second great valley with host Michael Krasny.

The show is posted on KQED’s website and is definitely worth a listen: http://www.kqed.org/a/forum/R201112210900

Ed Harrington, general manager of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, and Jim Wunderman, president and CEO of Bay Area Council, presented the opposing view that the reservoir should be left in place. These men raised a number of valid issues that must be addressed.

But Wunderman and Harrington also misrepresented a number of fundamental facts about the existing system and what restoration would involve. These misrepresentations include:

Fiction: All 400 MW of San Francisco’s hydroelectric power would be destroyed.

Fact: The truth is that all three of San Francisco’s hydroelectric power plants would still be operational and only the Kirkwood plant would generate significantly less power during late summer and fall when the Tuolumne River’s natural flow is low. Modeling studies suggest only 20% of San Francisco’s hydropower would be lost, certainly not all of it.

Fiction: San Francisco and its customers have just invested 4 billion dollars in this system to make it seismically safe and this money would be wasted if restoration takes place.

Fact: This investment pertains to retrofits in the Bay Area that have little to do with the water that San Francisco stores in the Sierra Nevada. Restore Hetch Hetchy has supported the retrofit and encouraged other environmental groups to do so as well. This is money well spent but is a separate issue from restoration.

Fiction: The California Department of Water Resources said restoration would cost 10 billion dollars.

Fact: DWR actually said it could cost as little as 3 billion dollars or as much as 10 billion dollars. And even the lower estimate of 3 billion dollars included enough additional water supply to replace the relatively small amount that would be lost several times over.

Fiction: Restoration would put the region at risk in huge ways.

No one has proposed that restoration of the valley take place until facilities to provide equivalent water and power to those who use it are in place and operational.

Fiction: The Bay Area would go to the bottom of the list in terms of water rights.

Fact: Restoration would not affect anyone’s water rights to the Tuolumne River. All it means is that the water would not be stored in Yosemite National park.

Fiction: The Bay Area would not have sufficient water in 1 out of 5 years.

Fact: In one out of five years some water would need to be replaced. In most years, San Francisco’s other 8 reservoirs and water rights on the Tuolumne would provide full supplies while allowing ample reserves.

Fiction: 85 % of San Francisco’s water is stored in Hetch Hetchy Reservoir.

Fact: Hetch Hetchy Reservoir stores only about 25% of San Francisco’s water.

Fiction: It would take a huge amount of energy to pump the water to San Francisco if Hetch Hetchy Valley were restored.

Fact: Water would still be diverted at “Early Intake”, on the Tuolumne River just below Yosemite National Park, and would flow from there to the Bay Area under gravity. Very small amounts of energy would be required in some parts of the system, as it is now.

Fiction: Hetch Hetchy Reservoir was required because San Francisco ran out of water to fight the fire following the 1906 earthquake in San Francisco.

Fact: San Francisco had plenty of supply in local reservoirs in 1906. The problem was that pipes within the city broke during the quake.

Fiction: Restoration would bring tremendous risk and harm to the region.

Fact: The amount of water and power at stake are not large, but are far less than has been replaced in other environmental restoration projects around the State. And restoration will not take place until replacement facilities are in place.

Restore Hetch Hetchy understands and respects that many people have other priorities and do not support restoration. We believe, however, that the debate over restoring Hetch Hetchy Valley in Yosemite National Park is worth having. And we ask our opponents to stick to the facts.

Interested persons can learn more about these issues by reading the plethora of reports posted at http://www.hetchhetchy.org/resources.

Big Lil Loop, Day Two

2011-08-08T17:40:00.000-07:00

Sublime is how I’d describe Day 2 of our adventure. After a restful night we woke to a breakfast of grits with cheese and sun-dried tomatoes. I was feeling wonderful. Most of the group was planning a hike around the lake to see the view from a dome on the side of the lake. I definitely did not want to tax myself with that, but I did want to walk back a mile to Beehive and see all the flowers during the day. Unfortunately everyone except Rebecca, Jason’s 11-year-old, was going on the long hike and Rebecca wanted to stay in camp. Heather advised me against going alone, and I happily obliged.

Instead, I sat in the shade and wrote in my journal. I laid on my back and meditated on the tree tops. I read from a book of Muir writings borrowed from Mike Marshall. And a few times I made the 20-foot trip over to the waters edge to sit on a log and filter water with electric-blue damselflies sailing about in between their own log rests.

It was perhaps the most relaxing morning of my adult life.

Close to lunch time the group returned with tales of climbing across fallen logs through marshy fields. We had a lot lunch of leftover rice and beans, at my suggestion (that food had not sounded tasty the night before, but did now; a good sign.)

It was 2 p.m. by the time we packed up and headed down the trail, but we only had four mostly-downhill and shaded miles to go to our next and last camp, Gravel Pit Lake. Just as we started out and crossed a stream that fed into Laurel Lake, we came out of the trees into a picture-perfect meadow decorated with flowers and butterflies. Clouds formed behind us to the north that could have held lightning, and later we did think we were hearing a bit of thunder.

Heather had us gather ‘round and gave us a writing assignment (I was thrilled)! She asked us to think about something we had seen and write about it in the flowery way of Muir. My mind began working immediately.

We walked on, soon to a broad view of Lake Eleanor, then to our toughest water crossing at Frog Creek. We took off boots and waded across, me about to my waist. Some of the kids got carried piggy-back by their dads and some went for another swim!

On we ventured to the tune of conversation that ranged from music to religion to SF politics. At Gravel Pit Lake, we were quickly attacked by mosquitos, but found refuge a bit uphill in our own rock city, with established fire rings and knock-out views atop house-sized boulders.

Unfortunately I was the only one to complete the writing assignment. I kept quiet about that and instead read from one of Muir’s essays about experiencing a mountain storm. We marveled about how he welcomes and fully experiences that from which we hide. He wrote: “Nature was holding high festival, and every fiber of the most rigid giants thrilled with glad excitement.”

Tom Clark: Restore Hetch Hetchy loses a water buffalo

2011-08-05T17:56:00.000-07:00

Tom Clark, who passed away on July 23, was Restore Hetch Hetchy’s most unlikely supporter. Or maybe not.

Lois Henry of the Bakersfield Californian was right when she said that it is hard to overstate Tom Clark’s influence on the water landscape in California. During his 14 years as its General Manager, he advanced the Kern County Water Agency and staunchly protected it from competition with urban and environmental interests.

Clark was instrumental in crafting the 1995 Monterey Agreement – a document that not only improved Kern’s dry year water delivery priority among State Water Project Contractors but also included the State ceding the undeveloped Kern Water Bank to local interests. As a result, the aquifer has been recharged in wet years with millions of acre-feet of water, helping to stabilize annual variations in supply and support a regional shift to highly profitable almonds, pistachios, pomegranates and citrus fruits. The Kern County Water Agency has indicated that they intend to name its (groundwater) Pioneer Project in Tom’s honor.

Environmental and fishing organizations that are committed to protecting the Bay-Delta and Central Valley rivers tend to view Tom with a bit less reverence. Many are still rankled that some of the water accumulated by the Kern Water Bank during the late 1990s was sold back to the public through the ill-fated Environmental Water Account in the early 21st century at a handsome profit, and legal action to return the bank to public control has been pursued.

And in person Tom was often provocative – he liked to accuse environmentalists of viewing farming as a sin. He once placed cotton bolls on a conference room table, asserting to the supposedly ignorant meeting participants that they were striped bass. But those who learned that Tom could take it as well as dish it out did so, and found that meetings with Tom could be fun, if also challenging.

Tom was used to working with large volumes of water. Kern County Water Agency has a contract with the State Water Project for 1,000,000 acre-feet – more than three times the supply that the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission delivers to the city and Bay Area communities. And groundwater banks developed in Kern County since 1977 can hold 5,700,000 acre-feet, more than 15 times the volume of Hetch Hetchy Reservoir. So when we showed Tom that we had done our homework – that adding a relatively simple intertie to other Tuolumne River reservoirs could ensure reliable delivery of surface water, it was not hard to convince him to join our National Advisory Board. (Former Metropolitan Water District GM Carl Boronkay joined us in December 2005 as well.)

Tom was clear he did not want to cause trouble - now who ever would have thought otherwise? He offered us advice from time to time, and there were a few key places where his phone calls were always readily answered. He simply said he was trying to help and that he thought restoring Hetch Hetchy Valley in Yosemite National Park was a worthy cause.

We will miss him.

More Day One bear photos

2011-08-03T21:10:00.000-07:00

Here are my two best photos of the bears, shot from about 200 feet with a lens that only zooms to 70mm. (Sorry, I wasn't going to schlep a second lens on this trip!)

In the first one a cub is visible on a leafless tree left of center.

Here's the momma at the base of the two trees in the middle of the shot. An amazing sight!

Big Lil Loop, Day One

2011-08-01T20:56:00.001-07:00

Epic. As far as I’m concerned, this was an epic trip, even if we were only in the backcountry for about 48 hours.

Our group on what was supposed to be the easiest of the overnight trips consisted of seven Marchers, including me, and our guides Heather and Mateo. The other Marchers were three dads and their kids, ages 7 to 11.

We spent Wednesday night at Hodgdon Meadow with the Marchers signed up for the Long Loop and our guides. There was rice pasta for dinner for those of us who don’t eat gluten. The next morning there were delicious lox and cream cheese along with Udi’s, the good gluten-free bread.

Thursday morning we were up around 6:30 getting ready for our respective trips. Most of us were at the dam ready to go around 10. It was already hot and we were about to climb nearly 3,000 feet on a rocky, exposed trail with our full packs.

Rattle snakes were a favorite topic that morning. I was anxious to spot one.

About half way up the switchbacks from the reservoir-side trail I asked a man coming down if had seen any. He said, “No, we saw some on our last trip, but not on this one. They try to stay out of your way.” A beat later he pointed and said, “There’s one!” Sure enough there was a long, fat one a couple feet down from the trail slithering into a gap between some rocks.

On one of our many stops Heather asked us to gauge how we were feeling with a thumbs-up, -sidways or –down. Mine was about half way between up and sideways. I had a headache, which is typical when I’m exerting myself in the sun on a hot day. But I was excited and wanted to keep my steady pace. There was lots to learn about my fellow marchers and from our guides.

We stopped for lunch at the top of the switchback trail, still a few miles of uphill from the site of a spring called Bee Hive. I ate a Ziploc baggie full of pasta and veggies left over from the night before. It hit the spot. We marched on.

It wasn’t long before, at a stop, I started to feel nauseated. I came back from using the natural facilities when everyone else was moving on and I told Heather how I was feeling.

In a few minutes I started throwing up. My stomach felt better. She asked me all kinds of questions about medications, how much I’d been drinking, if I could have the flu, if I could be pregnant. It was clear she knew how to handle the situation. Mateo came back down the trail a bit later to check on the situation, after the last hiker who left our little stop, Josh, told him I was feeling sick. He and Heather decided the rest of the group would go on and she and I would take our time.

I rested in the shade for a while, then we hiked a short distance back down the trail to a creek that made a little oasis, with gorgeous flowers all around. She filtered water with a hand pump and I soaked my clothes to get my core temperature down. Heather theorized that I had AMS (acute mountain sickness) or heat exhaustion, or a combination of the two. The cool water and rest made me feel somewhat better. I had an Emergen-C (sort of a Gatorade-powder drink) and a few nibbles of a gluten-free cereal bar.

We walked back to the packs and rested a bit more and started out again. We made a third or so of a mile before I puked again. We talked again about our options. There was a good spot to camp near there, and we could have stopped there and caught up the next day. We almost did, but she realized we had gear the other group need for dinner and they had gear we needed. If we could make it to Bee Hive with our packs, she could quickly cover the mile to the set campsite for the night, Laurel Lake, to exchange gear. After more rest, we pressed on.

I shuffled along for a little while, and she asked if I would do better without my pack. I said, “Sure, but what’s the alternative?” She offered to carry my pack. I was somewhat unbelieving that that was a real possibility and mumbled a noncommittal response. A short time later she said, “I’m going to carry your pack.” With her pack on her back, and mine on her front, we moved along slowly but steadily for almost two miles. It was getting to be 5 or 6 in the evening and with the sun no longer beating down, the break from carrying 25 pounds on my back was improving my condition greatly. The terrain was much easier, and my pace was just a tad faster than hers, me carrying only my camera and her toting 50 or more pounds of gear.

We came to another stream and filtered more water. I was feeling much better and ready to carry my pack again. We were nearly to Bee Hive when Heather said softly, “Look! Bears!” I could hardly believe my eyes. About 200 feet from the trail, across a level span of greenery, was a momma bear foraging while one of her cubs scampered up a tree after noticing us. The momma looked at us for a bit with a look that expressed mild interest. The baby looked down at her, clearly concerned. Soon we noticed another cub up a tree. And a half-blonde adolescent ambled up the hill, not seeming to notice us at all.

My only other bear experience was seeing one dash across the road while driving from Yosemite Valley to Wawona. So this sighting blew me away. It made the earlier nausea a distant memory.

We ogled the quartet as long as we dared in the fading light. After a few more minutes we arrived at Beehive, where we hoped to find our group. As we got attacked by mosquitoes, it became obvious why they decided to press on to Laurel Lake instead of camping at Beehive.

The signs at the junction were a bit sketchy, with one falling over a bit and the other directing toward a somewhat grown-over trail, but we soon noticed an arrow made with branches and highlighted with pieces of lichen! We eagerly followed. Soon there was a slightly-challenging stream crossing, which I made after Heather went across to find the trail.

We had one more climb before we came over a ridge and spotted campfire and headlamps. Heather hooted and got a reply to this from Mateo. It was almost totally dark, but we were finally able to relax. The cooler evening temps and the break afforded by Heather carrying my pack had contributed to what felt like a miraculous recovery.

Two headlamps came toward us and soon 7-year-old Xander was shouting at us: “You missed the most exciting thing!” Another momma bear and her two cubs had come right into camp soon after they got dinner going. Those had made their way out of camp without a confrontation, and the next day I saw amazing photos of the trio not 15 feet from the photographer (Jason). I think I would have been pretty nervous if bears had been that close to just Heather and me!

I made my way to the dinner area and my dear fellow Restore Hetch Hetchy board member Drew and his 9-year-old Dylan offered to put up my tent so I could rest and eat. I gratefully accepted. Miso soup plus a tortilla with a bit of avocado made a good dinner for my recovering stomach. I told some of my fellow marchers of our adventure and what an amazing nurse/sherpa/encourager my guide had been.

Thanks for supporting Muir's March!

2011-07-21T17:39:00.000-07:00

With just days to go before the first Marchers head out, I thought it appropriate to thank our sponsors here:

(Marchers get 25% an entire purchase from prAna; let me know if you need the code.)

Please click, shop and support our sponsors! And if you haven't already, pledge your support to a Marcher. Click here and then click on one of the Marches, then "List of Marchers" at the top. Thank you!

"The Battle Over Hetch Hetchy

2011-07-06T22:31:00.000-07:00

Browsing at the library recently I happened upon two books about Hetch Hetchy, both published in 2005. Presumably I was too distracted by giving birth to my first child that year to notice, but now I have some time to check them out.

The first (at least, the one I decided to read first) is The Battle Over Hetch Hetchy by Robert W. Righter. I'm about half way through and so far a good read. A couple interesting tidbits:

- In the 1880s, the USGS determined that the valley was too beautiful to flood.

- Early on, Lake Tahoe was considered as a source for water!

But the most interesting information I've learned falls under the category of history repeating itself, and/or the more something changes, the more it stays the same: San Francisco then, as now, had its mind made up before any rational or logical information came its way, and when that info came, it decided to ignore it. Then, as now, they disputed evidence presented by scientists that sufficient water could be had more cheaply(financially and resource-wise), and when asked to present evidence to the back the city's claims, said they hadn't been able(willing) to gather such evidence. One is reminded of the infamous 2005 hearing when, pressed to explain the PUC's $10 bil restoration figure, the spokeswoman admitted it was a "back of the envelope" number.

No Double Standard for Green Power in San Francisco

2011-01-04T19:44:00.000-08:00

Officials in San Francisco have stated they want to meet 100% of their electrical demand with renewable power within a decade (see New York Times article). It is a laudable goal, but to reach it they would have to classify their generation from large hydroelectric plants as “renewable”, something disallowed by State regulations.

Essentially they want special treatment that is different from other California utilities. They want a double standard.

Let’s be clear. San Francisco has made important progress on the energy front. They have invested substantially in solar power and energy conservation. And after a long struggle, they have recently shut down their last in-city fossil fuel plant on Potrero Hill.

But they would like to count the hydropower they generate in the Sierra Nevada at three sites – Moccasin & Kirkwood along the Tuolumne River and Holm on nearby Cherry Creek - as renewable. No other utility in California is allowed to classify hydropower facilities over 30 megawatts in size as renewable, and San Francisco should be no exception.

The debate over how to classify hydropower in California arose several years ago during the discussion of how to apply a “Renewable Portfolio Standard” to require utilities to generate more environmentally friendly power over time. The role of hydropower was debated. Some insisted that hydropower emits no pollutants and is in a sense “renewable”. Others argued that hydropower facilities have devastated fisheries and ruined rivers, so they should not be included. The compromise (albeit imperfect) was to classify any facility over 30 MW as ”non-renewable” and any facility under 30 MW as “renewable”. This compromise has been accepted by all, except apparently by some officials in San Francisco.

Of course, this is not the first time that a double standard would apply to San Francisco. They are after all the only water agency allowed to operate a major reservoir in a National Park. But in addition to continuing to store water in Hetch Hetchy Valley and deny generations of Americans the opportunity to appreciate its splendors, they want special dispensation in how they classify the hydropower generation from the project.

For those who have not followed the effort to restore Hetch Hetchy Valley in Yosemite National Park, it worth knowing that removing the dam or simply draining the reservoir would diminish the amount of water delivered to the Bay Area by only about 4% and the amount of hydropower generated at the 3 plants by 20% - see reports by Environmental Defense Fund, UC Davis, Restore Hetch Hetchy and others. Replacing these resources would be challenging but is eminently doable and well worth the effort to make Hetch Hetchy Valley and Yosemite National Park whole once again.

Let’s tell San Francisco to play by the same rules as everyone else.

Muir's March 2011!

2010-12-22T22:58:00.000-08:00

It's not too early to register. In fact, I did so today!

Film Fest success!

2010-12-06T09:15:00.000-08:00

More than 100 Bay Area Hetch Hetchy-ites enjoyed the Hetch Hetchy Film Festival -- Northern edition. Wednesday night in downtown Berkeley we were treated to three films. The David Brower film from the 1950s was new to me, and almost brought tears to my eyes. It showed footage of a dry year in which the stumps of the trees chopped down to make way for the reservoir are visible. It's a summer day and a whopping 1,500 people are visiting Yosemite Valley (can that be right?) while the photographer and one hiker are in HH Valley. The wind kicks up alkalai dust. It's not a pleasant place.

The second film was a short one created by two SoCal 3rd graders for a class project. (One proud set of grandparents was in attendance.) It was cute and funny but brought the point home. The third film was the Harrison Ford-narrated film most of us are familiar with, albeit with some new editing and appearances by our fearless leader, ED Mike Marshall.

At the reception before the viewing, Muir-Hanna Vineyards provided wine for the guests. The vineyard is run by Muir's grandson, Bill Hanna.

2010-11-21T19:25:00.000-08:00

It's a bit embarrassing that I have not blogged here in over a year. But I thought I would write a quick note after going to the Hetch Hetchy Film Festival in LA last Thursday.

The principle reason for the festival was to debut the re-release of "Discover Hetch Hetchy" with Harrison Ford. The new version is a bit leaner, though includes compelling new footage of our articulate and photogenic Executive Director Mike Marshall. As always, Sally Kaplan and David Vassar did a great job.

But we saw two other great films as well. David Brower's 1955 "Two Yosemites" was moving. The video is low-quality by today's standards but Brower is quite eloquent. No wonder he was and is such a revered environmental leader. Still the film does not imagine restoration but only bemoans the tragic flooding of Hetch Hetchy Valley.

For me the surprise of the evening was Gabriel Vasquez and Dylan Norris' "Restore the Hetch Hetchy". It is fun, fact-filled and will soon be on Youtube.

The best way to see these films is all at once. They will be shown December 1st at the Brower Center in Berkeley. I recommend that all fans of this historic restoration opportunity make the effort to attend. For more information go to Restore Hetch Hetchy's new website.

Congressman Nunes and Hetch Hetchy

2009-10-26T21:31:00.000-07:00

We are always pleased when elected officials openly discuss the legacy and potential restoration of Hetch Hetchy Valley in Yosemite National Park. Congressman Devin Nunes has recently brought Hetch Hetchy into the broader statewide water discussion at least three times - on Ray Appleton's radio show (August 13), at a Department of the Interior hearing ( September 30) and most recently from the floor of Congress (October 15). For a video of this recent speech, go to http://www.youtube.com/user/RepDevinNunes#p/u/3/v4myZw0K0XU

While we are sympathetic to Mr. Nunes concerns for the acute water supply needs of the farms along the west side of the San Joaquin Valley, we certainly do not support his call for suspension of the Endangered Species Act. We hope that efforts underway in Sacramento and Washington DC are able to improve both the beleaguered fisheries in the Bay-Delta and Central Valley watershed and the water reliability for California's cities and farms.

The amount of water at stake if Hetch Hetchy Reservoir is drained is very small compared to that within the Delta debate. Modeling studies show that, if Hetch Hetchy Reservoir were drained, more than 95% of the water currently delivered to the Bay Area from the Tuolumne River would still be available using minor new conveyance fixes and other SFPUC reservoirs. Replacing the remaining 5% of the water supply and about one fifth of the system's hydropower, however, would require not only additional investment but also a level of cooperation between parties that has been elusive to date.

We are encouraged that agencies and communities from throughout the State are working on comprehensive legislation to address the problems in the Bay-Delta, and hope that that spirit will extend to the opportunity to restore Hetch Hetchy Valley as well.

Muir's March: Final day

2009-09-23T20:43:00.000-07:00

Saturday, September 19

We broke camp by 9 am and made a quick dash to the Hetch Hetchy tunnel, arriving at 11:30. There, we visited with family and friends until 1:30, when we crossed the bridge arm-in-arm with a Restore Hetch Hetchy banner. The rally that followed – and particularly Lee Stetson’s Muir re-visit – was a fine finale to a rewarding trip.

Muir's March: Day 7

2009-09-23T20:42:00.001-07:00

Friday, September 18

We broke camp early and hiked west out of Pleasant Valley up 1400 feet to a ridge of Rancheria Mountain. We had excellent views of the canyon of Paiute Creek up to the Sawtooth Range. The canyon resembles Tenaya Canyon with spires and domes of granite. We crossed a long ridge of the mountain thru sierra cabbage meadows and trail sections overgrown with ferns and brush. Few people see this only trail from Pate Valley to Hetch Hetchy. We stopped at a flowing creek – the water on the hike was ample -- and started down the 3000 ft drop to Rancheria Creek.

As we descended the south wall of the narrow section of Hetch Hetchy could be seen but not the water. Half of Hetch Hetchy can only be seen from this trail or by air, only partially, and by so few. As we neared Le Conte Point, I scrambled up some rocks and could see Kolana Rock. Le Conte is near the trail and like other point in the park must offer spectacular views, but has no trail up to the point. Pete and I pondered how to open up the grand canyon to more visitors by a better lower trail.

The views of Hetch Hetchy were striking and sad. We arrived at camp and cooled off in the pools of the creek only to be met by two park rangers who reminded us that we were prohibited from swimming at the site within the one mile radius of the lake but could swim just upstream as if that made a difference. (Not sure how they measure the one-mile limit – as crow flies or as creek courses.) We met Mark and Laurie, had a great spaghetti and wine dinner, followed with joking and star gazing and to bed in prep for tomorrow's festivities.

Muir's March: Day 6

2009-09-23T20:40:00.001-07:00

Thursday, September 1

We were up before sunrise, ate breakfast by head lamp, packed up and were off by 7. We left the Tuolumne to the north, climbing 4000 vertical feet on the east side of a large glacial canyon. The trail was little used and, to my surprise, was overgrown at places with ferns and wildflowers. I had expected this section to be hot and dry, but was pleasantly surprised to find it cool and wet. The views down to the canyon were spectacular. The walk up was strenuous and several of us had to stop and catch our breath. We stopped satisfied with our exertions for lunch at the ridge line near a grove of white barked aspens full of meadowlarks and other song birds.

We then descended to Pleasant Valley past a small lake and over a trail that disappeared at points. We forded Paiute Creek and set up camp. The creek rushed down a rock wall nearby, with waterfalls, tubs and pools, and we passed the afternoon cooling off in the cold water. Eden prepared a fine dinner, Patrick made a roaring fire, we talked of families, illnesses sports and movies, and went to bed at 8 for an early start Friday.

Muir's March: Day 5

2009-09-23T20:39:00.001-07:00

Wednesday, September 16

We took our time getting up. After breakfast we hiked 3 miles thru the canyon to Pate Valley. The canyon is striking on this stretch, resembling parts of Yosemite Valley. Pete pointed out that the south side of the canyon was wet and evergreen alpine due to lack of direct sun light while the north side was desert. It occurred to me that these were places that most people can never get to. You can't get there without climbing 4000 ft vertical The reservoir and the lack of trails makes this area inaccessible to all but the most hearty or committed.

Eden and Patrick thought that this was all for the good, making the canyon exclusive, but I think this place belongs to all of us. We stopped at a lovely swimming pool; Patrick, Eden and I dove from a safe ledge and everyone swam.

Pate Valley is a lovely meadow with ferns and wild flowers. Who knew? We struck camp across the rover from a group of Conservation Corp youth who had spent the last five months fixing the trail. They had dynamited one 100 ton rock. They were leaving the next morning.

Theresa, Eden, Patrick and I made a dash for the start of the reservoir. The first 2 miles were on the trail to White Wolf along the south side of the river, then hopping on rocks and crossing the river until we reached a point where the walls were narrow and we would have needed to stay in the river. We turned back so that Eden could make dinner on time, and crossed over a rock chute to a boulder creek then to the remains of an old trail covered in brambles and poison oak. Back to the trail we quickly returned to camp and tried to wash out any poison. Luckily, nobody was injured.

After dinner we had a good discussion about the history of Hetch Hetchy, our plans and how the hikers can help out. Then to bed to rise early for the long climb the next day.

Muir's March: Day 4

2009-09-23T20:38:00.001-07:00

Tuesday, September 15

We woke early for a long hike. We had a quick cereal breakfast, said goodby to the fishermen and started out before the heat of the day. We headed down Waterwheel Falls, stopped to cool down at a bridge over a creek that was flowing even now, then over and around Muir Gorge. This was a 400 ft vertical climb on a day we dropped more than 1000 ft from our camp sight.

We crossed thru an area recently burned in a fire set by the park service. Much ash, trees down black and even fir resistant manzanita charred. At one point, a tree had recently fallen on the trail, and was still partly on fire. We stopped at a group of river pools to rest. Several of us took a dip.

As we continued thru the canyon, the walls towered above us on both sides, especially to the south. Like Yosemite Valley, the granite was smooth at places, with spires and buttresses and chutes and swirls. As we descended, the air grew warmer and the forest became dominated by pines, sierra spruce and firs, with oak trees also appearing, some in their autumn foliage.

At the end of the gorge segment, we rested by a bridge where a waterfall plunged down to in Spring, but the creek was dry. Rob and Theresa rushed ahead, and I did my best to keep up with them, to no avail as the heat and the length of the hike got to me. I lost the trail briefly then retraced my steps, found the path and continued on to camp.

Eden knew of this lovely spot in a bend in the river. Our own private Yosemite: cascading pools, towering granite walls to the south with traces of waterfalls springing from the top. We can thank the SFPUC for making this wonderland so remote that few ever see it. We set up camp and spent the afternoon swimming in the pools, the water was slightly warmer, and watching Eden and Patrick shoot down water slides formed in the granite, including a 9 ft vertical drop.

I found one stretch that looked very safe and went down several times. To induce my son Gabriel to the next trip, I had David take a photo as I shot down. Patrick later derided my adventure as a kiddy ride.

After a dinner invaded by bees attracted by the chicken dinner, we talked by the camp fire about brushes with the law and health care reform and retired. I was worried about mosquitos but felt no bugs in my lean-to that night.

Muir's March: Day 3

2009-09-23T20:36:00.000-07:00

Monday, September 14

We took our time in the morning then hiked three miles. We passed two waterfalls, California and La Conte. Even in September the river flows with enough strength to kick up water at these falls, which are somewhere between cascades and falls. The Tuolumne falls form a giant staircase thru the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne. And that adjective is well deserved. The canyon walls are polished granite and towering at places, looking much like Little Yosemite Valley. If this place were not so remote due to the dam, it would be a popular destination year round. As it is, it is unaccessible after the Tioga Road closes, and we saw noone else but our fishermen friends and two hikers from the Bay Area. The forest at this point includes many large pines and firs. Eden found us a hidden but well used campsight in a pine grove at a bend near Waterwheel Falls.

After we set up camp, most of us hiked down to Waterwheel. At the top of the falls, the valley opens up in a spectacular vista below. The falls plummet down a long incline in the granite that at times points upwards, causing the water to swirl. Eden and Patrick zipped down the rocks. Theresa and David followed, but Stefen, Pete and I stayed back. Later Stefen and I took the steep path down to the base of the falls and found swimming holes.

On our return up the hill, we ran into Gabriel and Sonny, who had separated from the other fishermen. When their companions found them hours later some lecturing followed. After dinner, the fishermen joined us, shared their liquor, and Maxwell described elaborate hazing incidents that were no longer tolerated when women were first allowed into the force.

Muir's March: Day 2

2009-09-23T20:35:00.001-07:00

Sunday, September 13

We hiked through Tuolumne Meadows down thru bristlecone pines to the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne. Off to our left, Unicorn and Cathedral Peaks appeared at unusual angles. We saw a large buck mule deer with large antlers. We stopped at a river pool to cool off, and the glacial canyon like Little Yosemite Valley opened up below us. Off to the right, the valley cliffs coursed up to craggy Matterhorn peak. After 8 miles, we reached the first of two waterfalls (Tuolumne) at Glen Aulin.

Glen Aulin, one of the Yosemite High Sierra Camps, is located in a subalpine meadow where Cold Creek flows in to the Tuolumne River. There were still wild flowers and sierra cabbage on the ground. The High Sierra camp closed for the winter the day we arrived. One staff member was still there. She let us use their firewood. The area below the falls has pools and smooth glacial rock slides. We saw a fawn in camp, and tiny mice near food sources.

Lee Stetson of Mariposa and his friend from Seattle joined us that afternoon. They had walked from Tuolumne Meadows also. After dinner, we stargazed on a hill, and made a roaring campfire. Lee - that is, John Muir - regaled us with stories of his treks in the sierras, his night on Shasta, his riding a snow avalanche, his most stupid trip thru a glacier in Alaska with a small dog, and more. Quite a treat. Four fishermen, Maxwell, Jack, Sonny and Gabriel (Fullerton firefighters and EMT workers) joined us at the campfire. They were trout fishing in the Tuolumne. river and nearby lakes along our route. Also joining us were Cat and Tom of Pacifica. Lovely time, good company, some whiskey that I spilled on myself.

Muir's March: Day 1

2009-09-23T16:58:00.000-07:00

The story of Muir's March, in the words of marcher and RHH board member Mark Palley:

Saturday, September 12

We arrived at Tuolumne Meadows Saturday evening. I had joined four other hikers, John, David, Stefen and Rob, in a van that left from San Francisco. Mike Marshall saw us off. Theresa from LA met us in Oakdale. Our drivers for the day were making their first visit to Yosemite – Anthony from Ireland, Allison and Helen from Australia and Bryce of RHH recently arrived from NY. At camp we met up with Pete and our guides, Eden and Patrick. We set up camp and had a lovely dinner. The hikers introduced themselves: John is an Episcopalian Priest in Corona, Theresa is a director of emergency response in Simi Valley, Rob is a software engineer in San Francisco, David is a software engineer in Concord, and Stefen is a muralist. The Australians taught us some local slang, and we taught them the American tradition of smores.

A hiker weighs in on Hetch Hetchy

2009-09-09T15:51:00.000-07:00

The following column was written by The Rev. John Saville, rector of St. John's Episcopal Church in Corona, CA. It was originally published by the Press-Enterprise (Riverside and San Bernardino counties).

On September 13, Rev. Seville will join Muir's March, Restore Hetch Hetchy's effort to "Follow in the footsteps of John Muir and help raise awareness and funds for the fight to restore Hetch Hetchy Valley."

Restore spectacular Hetch Hetchy Valley for future generations
By JOHN SAVILLE

Imagine arriving at Yosemite National Park on your next vacation and finding its famous valley has become a reservoir. This is what happened in 1923 to the park's nearby Hetch Hetchy Valley with the completion of the O'Shaughnessy Dam.

Conservationist John Muir, who described the valley as "one of nature's rarest and most precious mountain temples," lost the battle to save this Sierra landmark, described at the time as a "twin" of Yosemite Valley. In recent years, however, a new battle has begun to right a wrong that literally flooded a natural treasure for the water and power needs of the San Francisco Bay Area.

A group called "Restore Hetch Hetchy" is putting the spotlight on the sad results of one of the first great environmental battles of the 20th century.

Those who love -- and find a refuge in -- nature should join the fight to rehabilitate Hetch Hetchy, Yosemite's "twin."

The group's 2005 feasibility study, "Finding the Way Back to Hetch Hetchy," reports that with the engineering and technology available today, a win/win solution is possible. This confirmed a 1988 preliminary study requested by President Ronald Reagan's former interior secretary, Donald Hodel. San Francisco's water and power needs can be met without this reservoir and the valley can be brought back to life.

The process of allowing nature to heal itself will take decades. Many of us will not live to see the full results, but we have the opportunity to return a gift for future generations.

During these tough times some may not consider the restoration of Hetch Hetchy a priority. But for all who love nature and find in it a refuge and healing place, restoring a valley with spectacular waterfalls is a worthwhile investment. Furthermore, the restoration would provide a laboratory of learning for engineers and scientists from all over the world.

As long as the government is passing out billions to stimulate the economy, why not use some of those billions to create jobs that will restore, preserve and protect our irreplaceable natural resources? Beyond federal funding, private funds would be sought.

For many, this is a faith issue. It is about being good stewards of God's creation. My father introduced me to the wonders of the national parks through his poetry and sermons. He often quoted Muir, who said, "Dam Hetch Hetchy! 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."

In the August issue of Sunset magazine, documentarian Ken Burns says, "as owners (of national parks), we ought to just go every once in a while, visit our property, make sure it is being well taken care of..." We now have an opportunity to do more than that. We have an opportunity to tear down this dam and enable our children to watch it grow back to its natural glory.
We have an opportunity to participate in one of the first great environmental battles of the 21st century. We have an opportunity to "right a wrong."

On Sept. 13, I will begin a 45-mile, seven-day hike that will end at the dam to bring awareness and raise funds for the effort to restore Hetch Hetchy. For more information, visit www.restore hetchhetchy.org

Hetch Hetchy and Salmon

2009-08-25T13:56:00.000-07:00

In Saturday's Fresno Bee, columnist Bill McEwen opines that "the dam in Yosemite's Hetch Hetchy Valley must come down if salmon are to thrive again in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta". He cites numerous dam removal and reoperation efforts underway to accomplish salmon restoration across the country as well as the historic importance of spawning grounds within the Tuolumne watershed.

Let's be clear that there is no evidence that salmon ever spawned as far upstream as Hetch Hetchy. All dams and diversions from rivers do, however, have downstream effects. We at Restore Hetch Hetchy support management of the Tuolumne and other rivers in a way that sustains healthy fisheries downstream and provides for urban and agricultural water needs as well.

Restore Hetch Hetchy has not previously considered salmon restoration as a primary reason for restoring Hetch Hetchy Valley. Instead we have focused on the benefits that would take place upstream in Yosemite National Park, where the spectacular valley has been unavailable to human visitors, as well as to fish and wildlife, since completion of O'Shaughnessy Dam in 1923. We look forward to developing a plan to restore the valley that improves conditions for salmon as well.

San Franciscans are generally open-minded about restoring Hetch Hetchy

2009-08-22T16:50:00.000-07:00

My wife and I spent a pleasant morning at the Noe Valley farmers' market in SF with RHH volunteer coordinator Jonathan Silverman. We chatted with supporters, skeptics and folks who did not understand that it would not be especially difficult (from a technical perspective) to continue to provide reliable high-quality Tuolumne River water to the Bay Area if Hetch Hetchy Valley in Yosemite National Park is restored.

It was especially nice to talk to open-minded San Franciscans after reading the rather petulant (and inaccurate) piece in yesterday's San Francisco Examiner. Mr. Garcia quotes only the highest of cost estimates and characterizes environmentalist as opposed to all dams. We are not. Many dams serve essential purposes in semi-arid places like California. The small amount of water and hydropower provided by the dam can be replaced (read the reports), but there is no restoration opportunity like this anywhere.

Oh yeah, and we need volunteers. Contact us. Restore Hetch Hetchy is on the web

Muir's March update

2009-08-20T13:14:00.000-07:00

In just three weeks 10 committed hikers will be led by two guides on a 7-day backpacking trip from Tuolumne Meadows to the O'Shaughnessy Dam to raise money and awareness for Restore Hetch Hetchy. (There is still room in the group for two more hikers if you want to join them!)

The hikers will trek more than 40 miles and will raise at least $1,800 each to offset the cost of the trip and generate revenue for RHH.

A recent wildfire in the park has forced the group to change its route, but this change provides a great opportunity for supporters who can't participate in the whole march: The new route will require hikers to spend the last two miles walking along the road to the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir. We hope the group will meet crowds of supporters when they join the road and hike with them for the final 2 miles--a great media/photo op!

Trip organizers are pulling permits and mapping a course just south of the canyon which will take them up around Tuolumne Peak, across Ten Lakes Pass, along Harden Lake and through Smith Meadow to the O'Shaughnessy Dam.

Stay tuned for more info as the March approaches!

The SF Chronicle supports dam removal ...

2009-08-17T13:24:00.000-07:00

The Chronicle supports dam removal - at least on the Snake and Klamath Rivers.

As we opined on July 19, dams are essential to human existence. We rely on them for water supply, hydropower, and flood control. In some cases, however, the costs of building dams have been high, and have outweighed their benefits.

In an editorial in yesterday's paper, the San Francisco Chronicle put in a plug for dam removal on the lower Snake River, the Klamath River and "other rivers as well". It is probably wishful thinking that in mentioning other rivers, the Chronicle might have the Tuolumne River in mind.

Before construction of the city's O'Shaughnessy Dam in 1923, the Tuolumne flowed unimpeded through the spectacular Hetch Hetchy Valley in Yosemite National Park. Since that time, the valley has been inaccessible to park visitors.

A plethora of studies have confirmed that it is possible to continue the reliable delivery of water from the Tuolumne River to the Bay Area without storing it in a national park. We hope the Chronicle will support the next steps - turning those studies into a plan, implementing that plan and restoring Hetch Hetchy Valley for park visitors throughout California, across the United States of America and around the world.

Teddy Roosevelt and Hetch Hetchy

2009-08-08T10:03:00.000-07:00

In today's newspapers, both the New York Times and the San Francisco Chronicle carry reviews of "The Wilderness Warrior: Theodore Roosevelt and the Crusade for America" by Douglas Brinkley.

One difference in the reviews is that the New Tork Times reminds us of Roosevelt's opposition to damming Hetch Hetchy Valley in Yosemite National Park, while the Chronicle omits the subject.

Perhaps the difference merely reflects the perspectives of the reviewers, and not that of the newspapers. But the New York Times editorialized against damming the valley four times in 1913 and opined in 2002 that restoration should be considered. The Chronicle, a newspaper that is normally environmentally progressive, has opposed restoration.

Restore Hetch Hetchy's principal focus in 2009 is to explain to the public in San Francisco, as well as opinion leaders like the Chronicle, that restoration will not diminish the reliable delivery of high-quality water supplies from the Tuolumne River to the Bay Area. We hope the Chronicle will reconsider its position.

Hetch Hetchy and America's Best Idea

2009-08-07T15:15:00.000-07:00

This fall Ken Burns' long-awaited film: The National Parks: America's Best Idea will be released .

Burns borrows Wallace Stegner's "best idea" quote for the title. We agree. Maybe that is why we care so much about the legacy of Hetch Hetchy Valley and are dedicated to its restoration.

Hetch Hetchy's legacy goes beyond that of the loss of a serene river crossing a high mountain valley surrrounded by towering cliffs and thundering waterfalls. The debate over damming Hetch Hetchy Valley created an unprecedented nationwide controversy, drawing opposition from more than 100 newspapers and shaping the Sierra Club into a focussed political organization.
It was the loss of this valley that persuaded Congress to place much greater value in its National Parks. Three years after allowing the dam to be built (in large part due to sympathy for San Francisco's 1906 Earthquake), Congress passed the "Organic Act" establishing the National Park Service. Never since has such development been allowed in a National Park.

While the Park Service is usually pretty discreet about this aspect of its history, its website does note that "The Hetch Hetchy was spoiled before the National Park Service was established."

We are looking forward to viewing Burns' film, and hope that it will remind Americans about the importance of our National Parks as well encourage support for the restoration of Hetch Hetchy Valley in Yosemite National Park.

Hetch Hetchy images

2009-08-05T12:25:00.000-07:00

On July 22, we posted a stunning full-color image of Hetch Hetchy Valley. The image is actually a composite, using recent photos of the cliffs surrounding the existing reservoir, borrowing the Tuolumne River from Tuolumne Meadows upstream, and planting a few full-grown trees. It would be nice of we had color images of the actual valley, of course, but that is the whole point. This stunning valley, said to be comparable to Yosemite Valley itself, has been buried under 300 feet of water since the O'Shaughnessy Dam was completed in 1923.

There are a variety of sources for pre-dam photos of Hetch Hetchy Valley, including the Sierra Club and Sierra Nevada Photos. Both include this photo, taken by Mr. Taber from surprise point.

What you see here is pretty much what you see from visiting the dam - about 2 miles worth of the Hetch Hetchy Valley. The entire valley is about 9 miles long - about the same as Yosemite Valley. Many have pointed out that Yosemite Valley is wider and larger in area, with taller cliffs and more waterfalls. That is all true, of course, but Hetch Hetchy's glacial history left a cleaner and narrower cut through the granite, one we would like to see and explore up close.

Finally, to get an idea of how the reservoir has covered the valley floor, at least its last two miles, check out the version of the Taber photo from the Sierra Nevada Photos website and scroll your mouse over it.

Oh, and please visit www.hetchhetchy.org and find out how you can help restore Hetch Hetchy Valley in Yosemite National Park.

Crowds in Yosemite National Park

2009-07-27T09:21:00.000-07:00

The Modesto Bee recently told its readers that the National Park Service is trying to figure out how to protect Yosemite Valley from the millions of tourists, campers and back-country hikers who crowd into it every year. The Bee notes that the tourism industry and environmental groups are sure to offer their views, and suggests that "regular" Yosemite visitors should do so as well.

One reader responded that the Bee was too timid as it has opposed even further consideration of restoring Hetch Hetchy, Yosemite National Park's other great valley, which has been inaccessible to park visitors since the early 20th century.

Reasonable people who support restoration differ on how we should manage visitation to Hetch Hetchy Valley during and after restoration. We at Restore Hetch Hetchy look forward to a spirited debate on this subject as public support for restoration builds.

Hetch Hetchy and water supply

2009-07-22T13:14:00.000-07:00

The Pacific Institute reports that California's farmers could save nearly 6 million acre-feet of water in a normal year. In today's San Francisco Chronicle , reporter Kelly Zito notes that is enough water to fill Hetch Hetchy Reservoir 16 times.

Even if the potential savings is an overestimate, it is pretty clear that restoration of Hetch Hetchy Valley in Yosemite National Park is achieveable. Restoration would require, however, a level of cooperation between San Francisco, its urban customers and other water interests that we have not seen to date.

Let's work together to ensure that farms and cities use water as productively as possible, and make possible restoration of Hetch Hetchy and other precious ecosystems.

Not all dams are created equal

2009-07-19T14:15:00.000-07:00

Dams are essential to human existence and well being, especially in semi-arid places like the American West. It is hard to imagine supporting 38 million people in California, as well as our world class agricultural economy, without holding winter rains and spring snowmelt in our reservoirs to provide water during our dry summers and perhaps subsequent drought years. In addition to water supply, dams also provide important flood control and hydropower benefits.

The cost of building dams to our natural environment, however, has been high. In some cases, we have decided to remove dams that provide limited utilitarian benefits in order to let rivers flow freely. In California, we have removed dams on Clear and Butte Creeks to help restore endangered winter and spring-run Chinook salmon and we hope to remove a few more on Battle Creek and the Ventura River. And last fall, Klamath River parties signed an “Agreement in Principle” that may well lead to the removal of four controversial dams and hopefully to restoration of the fisheries that have sustained Indian tribes in northern California for millennia.

The campaign to restore Hetch Hetchy Valley in Yosemite National Park is a bit different in that a restored valley would attract human visitors much like Yosemite Valley, its sister 20 miles to the south, does. If Hetch Hetchy Valley were returned to the American people, it is entirely possible that the correct balance between public access and excessive human footprint in Yosemite National Park could be found.

The reservoir currently in Hetch Hetchy Valley, unlike those behind the dams mentioned above, does provide some water supply benefits. The amount is surprisingly small, however, and there are alternatives for full replacement – see studies by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the Environmental Defense Fund, U.C. Davis, as well as our own Restore Hetch Hetchy report. Some hydropower would need replacement as well – roughly the same amount as required for the Klamath proposal.

Reasonable people may disagree whether it is in our collective interest to restore Hetch Hetchy Valley. We at Restore Hetch Hetchy believe it is, and our realism about human needs is reflected in our mission statement:

The mission of Restore Hetch Hetchy is to return the Hetch Hetchy Valley in Yosemite National Park to its natural splendor while continuing to meet the water and power supply needs of all communities that depend on the Tuolumne River.

Please visit Restore Hetch Hetchy to learn more.

NYT advocates dam removal

2009-07-12T16:30:00.000-07:00

Check out this Times editorial.

Welcome to our blog!

2009-07-11T22:15:00.001-07:00

This blog is authored by the Board of Directors of Restore Hetch Hetch y.