Restoring Hetch Hetchy and the Tuolumne River

Posted January 14, 2006 by Robyn Suddeth
 

I just found this really interesting short story titled After The Fall from the Los Angeles Times– musings about what it would be like should Congress decide to restore Hetch Hetchy valley in Yosemite.

The author, Greg Sarris, talks of the cycle of human interaction with the natural environment, of the everlasting effects of each mark we make and the irony in the fact that fixing our blunders could require more human control over nature than the mistake represented in the first place. He does a great job reminding us that we can neve be free of any impact we have. Click the link above and check it out- it’s a well written and thought-provoking story that doesn’t take too much time.

Below are a few before and after shots of Hetch Hetchy Valley that I found on Sierra Club’s Restore Hetch Hetchy website. The left photo was taken by Isiah West Taber in 1908, and the right by Ron Good in 2003.

surprise_point_taber.jpg

hh_dam_in_clouds_ron_good_big.jpg

Notice the waterfalls in the two pictures- once you see that it’s easier to do the comparison.

 
 

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