Yosemite National Park, CA--The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) today unveiled the first six permanent, state-of-the-art exhibits for visitors at Hetch Hetchy Reservoir in Yosemite National Park in the Sierra Nevada. The exhibits highlight the rich history of the enormous undertaking to build the Hetch Hetchy Water and Power System, as well as the many wonderful recreational opportunities in the Hetch Hetchy watershed.

These exhibits were created in partnership with Yosemite National Park and designed to make the visitors’ park experience more pleasurable and meaningful. These state-of-the-art porcelain enamel and Corten steel exhibits are designed to blend seamlessly with the surrounding natural beauty of the Park as well as withstand the harsh weather conditions of the Sierra Nevada.

Featured in the exhibits are the 68-mile-long Hetch Hetchy Railroad; trails and waterfalls in the Hetchy watershed; water quality and the measures taken to protect it; the building of O’Shaughnessy Dam; and the clean renewable hydropower produced by this project. One display will feature a large format map of Yosemite National Park and a northwest trails map of the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir recently published by National Geographic Maps.

“This beautiful reservoir delivers pristine water to more than 2.4 million people in the Bay Area,” said SFPUC General Manager Susan Leal, unveiling the history panels and exhibit.  “We are pleased to now highlight the rich history and importance of the Hetch Hetchy water and power system as well as celebrate the natural beauty and recreational opportunities around us.”

"These new exhibits provide both orientation and historical background to the park visitors. They will help them plan and enjoy their visit to this spectacular area within Yosemite National Park, " stated Yosemite National Park Deputy Superintendent Kevin Cann.

More than 55,000 people visit the northwestern portion of Yosemite National Park, that encompasses the 459 square-mile Hetch Hetchy watershed. This pristine watershed has 287 miles of trails, including a portion of the Pacific Crest Trail, that offer visitors a less populated experience than other parts of the Park. There are beautiful trails, lakes and streams for swimming, fishing, boating, hiking and backpacking. Wildflowers and wildlife are abundant in spring and summer. Yosemite National Park is renowned for its extraordinary waterfalls and granite monoliths.

The SFPUC takes its environmental stewardship role very seriously and works with the Park staff to protect its natural resources. The SFPUC contributes staff time and more than $3 million annually to help maintain trails and to protect the resources of Yosemite National Park for future generations.

The SFPUC is a department of the City and County of San Francisco that oversees three main enterprises: water, wastewater and power. The Water Enterprise serve 2.4 million people an average of 256 million gallons of water every day in four counties: San Francisco, Alameda, Santa Clara and San Mateo. It is the sixth largest municipal water system in the country and one of the few that has a filtration exemption due to the highly protected Hetch Hetchy/Tuolumne River water source in the Sierra Nevada.