Hetch Hetchy

Number: 1988-11

 

WHEREAS, the Secretary of the Interior has proposed removal of the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir in Yosemite National Park and the restoration of Hetch Hetchy Valley; and

WHEREAS, Yosemite National Park was established in 1890 in order to preserve its remarkable beauty for the enjoyment and inspiration of future generations of Americans; and

WHEREAS, under the Raker Act of 1913, the city of San Francisco was allowed to construct dams and reservoirs in two river valleys in Yosemite National Park, an action which is inconsistent with the underlying purposes of the National Park System; and

WHEREAS, Eleanor Creek was dammed in 1918 and now provides water that is sold by San Francisco to the Modesto and Turlock Irrigation Districts; and

WHEREAS, before the Tuolumne River was impounded behind O’Shaughnessy Dam in 1923, Hetch Hetchy Valley was frequently compared to Yosemite Valley in its scenic grandeur; and

WHEREAS, the water supply storage provided by Hetch Hetchy Reservoir is less than 1% of the reservoir storage currently available to the state of California; and

WHEREAS, there are numerous opportunities for conservation and efficiency improvements in the water and power systems presently serving California; and

WHEREAS, the State of California has commissioned a $100,000 study of the economic and environmental effects of removing Hetch Hetchy Reservoir; and

WHEREAS, the long-range needs of the National Park System might benefit from such action; and

WHEREAS, water is a limited resource in California and localized changes in water use have broad regional consequences;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation in annual meeting assembled March 17-20, 1988, in New Orleans, Louisiana urges that the ramifications of such a decision should be given prompt and serious consideration, including consideration of the impacts of this decision on other water management decisions in California.