Hetch Hetchy could be drained

The Fresno Bee ^ | September 28, 2004 | Mark Grossi

[Plutarch]

Bay Area water could be stored at Don Pedro Reservoir downstream, according to a new study.

By Mark Grossi
The Fresno Bee

For less than $2 billion, San Francisco could drain its drinking water out of a glacial valley in Yosemite National Park.

That's the bottom line in the most detailed study yet on the controversial topic of restoring Hetch Hetchy Valley, where a 117 billion-gallon reservoir has submerged nature since the 1920s.

The basic idea: capture San Francisco's share of the Tuolumne River farther downstream in Don Pedro Reservoir.

The study, presented Monday by the national advocacy group Environmental Defense, is billed as the first serious starting point for restoration.

"I think people would be surprised to find out that Don Pedro could supply 96% of the water Hetch Hetchy provides," said analyst Spreck Rosecrans.

The study will likely cause ripples in San Francisco, a city known for supporting environmental campaigns, such as San Joaquin River revival, but resisting Hetch Hetchy restoration. Mayor Gavin Newsom took no position on the study.

Restore Hetchy Hetchy link

[Plutarch]

San Francisco swarms with environmentalists, who would go to the barricades to prevent drilling in the ANWR, but are perfectly happy with getting their water from a reservoir flooding another Yosemite valley!

[Drango]

nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

[Libertarianize the GOP]

ping

[hyperpoly8]

Looks like a nice place for a lake to me.

[kenth]

Nicely shows their true agenda, doesn't it...

[Redcloak]

The first person I remember proposing to restore the Hetch Hetchy and undo the environmental damage there was George H.W. Bush.

[T Minus Four]

You know, I can't understand how the environmentalists can oppose drilling in our backyard, but it's ok to do it half way around the world.

[Piranha]

Is that right? I'd love to see a reference to his proposal, if you know where to find it.

I was in Yosemite this summer and I would love to see Hetch Hetchy restored.

[Billthedrill]

You are correct.

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.

John Muir, 1912

[taxesareforever]

The basic idea: capture San Francisco's share of the Tuolumne River farther downstream in Don Pedro Reservoir.

Hey everyone, I just saw an endangered field mouse right on the edge of the Don Pedro Reservoir. I wouldn't raise that water level one iota. Matter of fact, I think it should be drained to establish more habitat for this mouse and his endangered friends.

[Redcloak]

I remember this proposal from the Bush41 years, but it turns out that the idea first surfaced during the last years of the Reagan administration. SECINT Don Hodel proposed restoring the Hetch Hetchy in 1987. Hodel continued as SECINT under G.H.W.Bush. I remember the enviralists standing around with their beebers stuned not knowing which way to turn.

[Billthedrill]

Also, GHWB raised San Francisco's "rent" on Hetch Hetchy from a mere $30,000 a year to $8 million. This story. DiFi screamed, but it was still a cheap deal. The idea was that if we charged SF something close to the real cost they might stop freeloading off the rest of the U.S. and pony up for an alternative.

[Piranha]

I understand that both Feinstein and Boxer are opposed to rescuing Hetch Hetchy. That in itself is a reason to support it.

[telebob]

Hetch Hetchy will not be drained so forget about it.

[Verginius Rufus]

I read that Gifford Pinchot won John Muir's enmity when he endorsed damming Hetch Hetchy. Of course Pinchot is one of the great heroes of the environmentalist left...there is a Gifford Pinchot National Forest in Washington State.

[RayChuang88]

If I remember correctly, the plan is to raise the height of Don Pedro Reservoir quite a bit so it can become a replacement for the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir. It won't be cheap though: you have to factor in the cost of dismantling the Hetch Hetchy dam, restoring the valley behind it, and upgrading the dam on Don Pedro Reservoir--all of which will cost US$10 billion total.

It would take several decades up to a century to restore the Hetch Hetchy Valley to its form before the dam was built.

[Plutarch]

Is that right? I'd love to see a reference to his proposal, if you know where to find it.

There is a link in the original post, above the photograph.

[BurbankKarl]

These people are nuts.

[Walkingfeather]

I would imagine it has been filled with silt. do they think they would remove that?

[Mike Darancette]

For less than $2 billion, San Francisco could drain its drinking water out of a glacial valley in Yosemite National Park.

The greenies could take up a collection. Or they could wait 1,000 tears or so.