Call to restore Yosemite's hidden wonders
Campaign is growing to remove national park's dam and return valley to its natural state
Dan Glaister in Hetch Hetchy
Monday October 31, 2005
The Guardian
The wonders of California's Yosemite valley are familiar to visitors from all over the world: the towering granite face of El Capitan, soaring more than 1,000 metres above the valley floor, the fractured-looking Half Dome, the plummeting waters of Bridalveil Falls. But few of the 3.3 million visitors to Yosemite every year have heard of the national park's other wonders, the imposing granite rock face of Kolana, or the twin waterfalls of Wapama and Tueeulala in neighbouring Hetch Hetchy valley.
The reason is simple: Hetch Hetchy valley lies beneath 90 metres (about 300ft) of water, kept in place by the concrete wall of the O'Shaughnessy dam. But a movement to remove the dam and return the valley to its natural splendour is gaining momentum. Spurred on by a review initiated by the California governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, activists are optimistic that one of the most controversial building projects undertaken in the western US may soon be reversed.
In 1913, two decades after Yosemite was dedicated as a national park, Congress agreed to build a dam to provide water and power for San Francisco, 167 miles away. That decision, which pitted the interests of industry and economic growth against the environment and quality of life, remains as controversial today as it was almost 100 years ago.
The Hetch Hetchy valley is a serene spot. Granite rock formations tower over the reservoir, the burnt orange bark and pale green leaves of manzanita trees mingle with firs, bracken and even grapevines at the water's edge. One end of the nine-mile long reservoir is dominated by the concrete hulk of the dam and the sound of water rushing into the Tuolumne river. Signs inform visitors that dogs, bikes, swimming and boating are forbidden, and the gates are locked at sunset.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,12271,1605121,00.html