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View Full Version : How would an RP congressman handle Hetch Hetchy Valley?




crazyfacedjenkins
05-24-2008, 12:35 PM
If you were a congressman, would you support the removal of the O'Shaughnessy Dam? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hetch_Hetchy_Valley. Would you have supported its construction?

Bryan
05-26-2008, 09:07 AM
The O'Shaughnessy Dam is little more than pollution and should be treated as such-- further the Bay Area has been "leasing" out Hetch Hetchy as a water tank for a rate that is fractions of a penny on the dollar -- seven cents per acre per year (source: http://www.hetchhetchy.org/newsletter/pdf/rhh_newsletter_spring_2004.pdf) to submerge the sister valley of Yosemite (both in a national park, even when the dam was built) which receives over 4 million visitors per year. $100K/acre/year would be a bargain.

Further, the Bay Area has been in violation of the law as it was not suppose to profit from the damming with the selling of water / power, but they have (to the tune of 10's of millions per year- $38 million in '94).

The O'Shaughnessy Dam and destruction of Hetch Hetchy is arguable both the largest environmental disaster in history and the biggest swindle at that.

I would support legislation to give the Bay Area seven more years to start the voluntary deconstruction of the dam and to start the restoration process but if they don't maintain schedule within two years to do the job for them and forced the repayment for the job and for the back money they own the American people for their nearly 100 year swindle of mass proportion (the bargain rate for only 40 years would be $1.7 trillion).

FYI- I've been fighting for the removal of the dam since my first adult visit to Yosemite almost 10 years ago.

Discover Hetch Hetchy With Harrison Ford (60 secs)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geq4zHqlfTc

Hetch Hetchy - Yosemite's Lost Valley
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-QLfeoWHPE

FYI- Wilson signed the Raker Act the same week as the Federal Reserve Act-- go figure.

kigol
05-26-2008, 10:01 AM
good info.

SeanEdwards
05-26-2008, 02:43 PM
You can't put toothpaste back in the tube. Destroying a dam and watersupply is not going to create another yosemite valley. It will just eliminate a major source of water for human consumption in a state that routinely suffers from drought and water rationing. Terrible idea.

Bryan
05-27-2008, 12:24 AM
Destroying a dam and watersupply is not going to create another yosemite valley.
Some estimate the full restoration to be 100 years minus some of the blasting that was done... but it will create another near-Yosemite Vally as it once was. Just look at the historic photos. 100 year wait would be well worth it.


It will just eliminate a major source of water for human consumption in a state that routinely suffers from drought and water rationing.
Actually the water can still be used down stream just fine, and there are many other options that can be used. To quote the proposal / study the Sierra Club has "Our latest study, using data from respected California water experts, shows that is technically feasible to restore Hetch Hetchy Valley, while preserving 95% of the existing water supply and 73% of the hydro-power. Additional measures such as water and energy conservation, raising Don Pedro Dam, and groundwater storage could economically replace the remaining water and energy losses."
Source: http://www.hetchhetchy.org/proposal.html