O' Shaughnessy Dam
Posted by: 
emjc
N 37° 56.798 W 119° 47.252
11S E 255060 N 4203559
This is the famous Hetch Hetchy Lake and it's dam. The dam is around 435 feet tall and hides a valley that John Muir once thought was as beautiful as Yosemite Valley.
Waymark Code: WM1JE3
Location: California, United States
Date Posted: 05/19/2007
Views: 89
The O'Shaughnessy Dam is a dam on the Tuolumne River in the Hetch Hetchy Valley of California's Sierra Nevada mountains. The dam is located inside Yosemite National Park, and creates the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir. It is named for former San Francisco chief engineer and the original chief engineer of the Hetch Hetchy Project Michael M. O'Shaughnessy. The dam provides water and electricity to 2.4 million people in the city of San Francisco, San Mateo County, Alameda County, and the San Joaquin Valley. The power-generation facilities and transmission lines are concealed to protect the valley's famous scenery. The reservoir's capacity is 0.444 cubic kilometres (360,360 acre-feet). The O'Shaughnessy Dam is quite near to Yosemite's western boundary, but the long, narrow, fingerlike reservoir stretches eastward for about 12.5 km (over 8 miles).
This dam was quite controversial as it submerged a valley that many (e.g. John Muir) had argued was as beautiful as Yosemite Valley. Now, 85 years later, removal of the dam is being considered. I'm not sure how great of an idea that will be as there are many challenges. While I can't vouch for the beauty of what once was, the current lake and surrounding canyon are still quite gorgeous and worth a visit and hike. This is a hidden gem in Yosemite National Park.
Waterway where the dam is located: Tuolomne River
Main use of the Water Dam: Water Supply (Drinkable)
Material used in the structure: masonry
Height of Dam: 435 feet
Date built: 01/01/1923
Fishing Allowed: no
Motor Sports Allowed: no
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Visit Instructions:
Photo of the Dam and a description of your visit.