Harrison Ford Jumps into Fray over Hetch Hetchy Reservoir

by Phillip Matier and Andrew Ross
San Francisco Chronicle - August 20, 2006

Can Indiana Jones rescue Hetch Hetchy Valley from its watery Temple of Doom?

No sooner did the California Department of Water Resources issue a report concluding it would cost between $3 billion and $10 billion to drain the Hetch Hetchy reservoir and replace San Francisco's water and power supply than never-say-never environmentalists enlisted action hero actor Harrison Ford to their daunting cause.

The 64-year-old Ford flew his own plane into Tuolumne County this past week, then drove to Hetch Hetchy in Yosemite National Park to shoot a bit of added footage and commentary for the 19-minute Environmental Defense documentary, "Discover Hetch Hetchy." The short film, which has already premiered at a Nevada City film festival, also features the likes of former U.S Secretary of Interior Don Hodel and state Assemblywoman Lois Wolk, D-Davis.

Jennifer Witherspoon of Environmental Defense, which has been leading the charge to restore Hetch Hetchy, said Ford was tapped for the role because he is "really dedicated to protecting and restoring important natural places around the world."

But Tony Winnicker, spokesman for the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, whose 2.4 million customers rely on the Hetch Hetchy for their drinking water, had a very different take on Ford's involvement: "As an actor best known for starring in major fantasy and science fiction movies, appearing in a film about draining the Hetch Hetchy sounds like a role right up his alley."