Yosemite National Park - Hetch Hetchy Communications System Project (U.S. National Park Service)

Project Status
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The following is a list of the various stages that occur during a planning process. Though there are added public involvement opportunities such as meetings and workshops throughout, this outlines the major steps. They include:

  Initial public outreach
  Technical Study/Report
  Public scoping (ended 4/10/06)
Plan development
Public review & comment
(EA/IS) (ended 11/2/07)
Produce final plan/report
> Decision document<
  Implementation of plan/or project

Hidden in Yosemite’s peaceful northwest corner, Hetch Hetchy Valley is a treasure worth visiting. In spring, two waterfalls plummet spectacularly over 1,000 foot granite cliffs. With dramatic domes surrounding these waterfalls it is easy to see why John Muir, upon first visiting the area in 1870, compared it to the more well-known Yosemite Valley to the south. This area is most often visited by day hikers and backcountry users for its optimal access to nearby natural areas.

Hetch Hetchy Water and Power (HHW&P), a division of the City and County of San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC), manages a complex utilities system which provides drinking water to Groveland, the City of San Francisco, and several Bay Area counties, as well as hydroelectric power for San Francisco municipal uses, for sale to irrigation districts, and for sale to other utilities. HHW&P utilizes communication equipment at O’Shaughnessy Dam, in the Hetch Hetchy area of Yosemite National Park, in support of their operation.

NPS Photo by Adrienne Freeman

View of Hetch Hetchy Valley.

The current equipment, utilizing existing phone lines, transmits voice and data communications essential to the operation and security of HHW&P’s electric and water supply utilities, and is also used by Yosemite personnel for park communications. The existing radio and fiber optic equipment are obsolete and no longer supported by their manufacturers; the proposed project would update this infrastructure by replacing or updating components of the communication system throughout Tuolumne County, including potentially adding one new site within Yosemite National Park.

Documents pertaining to the Hetch Hetchy Communications System Upgrade Project:

For an overview of the proposed project read through the associated fact sheet (PDF)
Public comments 1 (1.12 MB PDF) and 2 (1.58 MB PDF) received during the scoping period.
Hetch Hetchy Environmental Assessment/Intital Study Page - Public Review and Comment Period Open - Oct. 2, 2007 - Nov. 2, 2007
FONSI- Finding of No Significant Impact, Assessmet of Actions Having an Effect on Cultural Resources, Tuolumne Wild and Scenic River Section 7 Determination, Erratta Sheets, and Public Comment and Response Report - April 2008 (3.3MB PDF)

NPS Photo by Adrienne Freeman

View of O'Shaughnessy Dam and the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir.