Almost 100 years ago, Congress approved a dam and reservoir in Yosemite to supply water and power to San Francisco. The project flooded the scenic Hetch Hetchy Valley. Now environmentalists want to drain the reservoir, hoping to restore what they call “a second Yosemite Valley.” Under Measure F, the city would spend $8 million to develop an alternative plan for its water and power. But critics say the measure squanders taxpayer money and could jeopardize the city’s water supply. Should we restore Hetch Hetchy?
Background on Measure F and the Battle Over the Hetch-Hetchy Reservoir
Century-Old Battle Over Yosemite's 'Second Valley' Heats Up: A good explanation of the basic debate from KQED's Quest
Could Yosemite's 'Second Valley' be Restored?: Article and illustrations explaining the timeline for restoring Hetch Hetchy Valley from the Contra Costa Times
Judge Rules that Hetch Hetchy Ballot Language Should Stay: Background on the semantics of the ballot language from SFGate