Our campaign
In 1987, Secretary of the Interior Donald Hodel proposed that Hetch Hetchy be restored. But then mayor and current U.S. senator Diane Feinstein disagreed, calling the reservoir “San Francisco’s birthright.”
Situated inside Yosemite National Park, Hetch Hetchy Valley was described by John Muir as “one of nature’s rarest and most precious mountain temples.” It was one of the most spectacular landscapes on earth, and it was protected for a reason.
Congress, three short years after allowing Hetch Hetchy to be clear-cut dammed and flooded, realized its mistake. It passed the National Park Service act to ensure that our parks were managed for national interests and not simply local benefit. The dam at Hetch Hetchy remains, however, and is the greatest blemish in any of our national parks.
At Restore Hetch Hetchy, we are passionately dedicated to our objective of restoring Hetch Hetchy Valley and making Yosemite National Park whole once again. To be successful, we are aware of the water and power benefits made possible by the existing dam and reservoir are replaced or improved. We take our mission statement seriously.
Our mission
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 needs of all communities that depend on the Tuolumne River.
We do not begrudge San Francisco and other Bay Area communities the use of Tuolumne River water. But the water needs to be stored outside Yosemite National Park.
We understand that San Francisco’s water system will need certain improvements, and some hydropower will need to be replaced with renewable power. We have done substantial research on these water and power alternatives, but San Francisco appears to need a political or legal imperative to consider these water and power alternatives.
A slideshow of people involved in the history of Hetch Hetchy and Yosemite.
So, we are pursuing legal and political opportunities to make San Francisco confront the damage it has done to Yosemite. Please join us. Together we can restore Hetch Hetchy Valley for our children and for generations to come.
Our blog
Our flagship blog features analysis of news from our staff and announcements of upcoming events.
Fire, Water and Facts
As devastating fires in Los Angeles continue to burn, too many politicians and keyboard warriors are making irresponsible assertions about the...
Hetch Hetchy legislation introduced
It’s always great to see elected officials take an interest in improving the situation at Hetch Hetchy. Congressman Tom McClintock, whose district...
Is San Francisco opening its mind on groundwater?
Most of California’s largest urban water systems have invested in groundwater recharge programs in rural regions. Restore Hetch Hetchy’s Yosemite's...
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