Majestic Waterfalls Silent due to Energy Crisis

By Meg Dixit

Huntington Falls, the majestic waterfall at Stow Lake in Golden Gate Park, is no longer a daily treat for park patrons. It is only running on weekends due to a request last summer by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission to conserve energy throughout the City.

"I got a directive from our general manager to limit the hours of the falls in order to conserve energy during the crisis last year. The cutbacks are part of a citywide program to reduce energy consumption in municipal facilities, including Golden Gate Park," said Dan McKenna, a park superintendent with the SF Recreation and Park Department.

The falls used to run seven days a week. Operating on weekends saves more than half of the energy consumed prior to the changes.

Gary Hoy, Capital Programs director at the Recreation and Park Department, said additional budget constraints also have an impact on the operation of the waterfalls.

"On top of the energy crisis, a mandate by Mayor Willie Brown calls for a 10 percent cut by city departments across the board," he said. "And then there is the added pressure from our post Sept. 11 world to save."

Rainbow Falls, the other popular waterfall at Golden Gate Park, is located on Crossover Drive. It is completely shut down and only runs occasionally to exercise the pump's motors.

Rainbow Falls runs with one motor (100 horsepower and 115 amps). Recycled water is used to create the waterfalls and comes from a circular pumping system that pulls water out of adjacent Stow Lake for Huntington Falls and Lloyd Lake for Rainbow Falls.

At the Huntington Falls, two 40 horsepower, 52.3 amp motors, one of which is currently out-of-order, keeps the waterfall flowing.

Becky Ballinger, public information officer at the Recreation and Park Department, said budget constraints affect all heat, power and light sources in municipal facilities.

"We are not sure when the restrictions will be lifted," she said. "Currently, it has been decided to keep the falls in limited operation."

Bill Pedent, manager of Energy Conservation at the SF Public Utilities Commission, said more efforts to save energy in San Francisco's municipal facilities are underway. His team is currently establishing energy efficiency projects with a $15 million conservation program authorized by the mayor.

"We have installed refrigerators in public housing that will cut energy consumption by 75 percent. Likewise, we are using light-emitting diodes (LED) in stoplights to save about 82 percent right there," he said. Numerous LED stoplights have been installed at various locations throughout the City.

"This also saves about $4 million a year in maintenance of the stoplights, which will only need to be groomed once every 10 years as opposed to the current once-a-year maintenance schedule," he said.

Disappearance of the waterfalls has not gone unnoticed though. Leon Smith, chief stationary engineer at Golden Gate Park, says there have been many complaints by the public, who are anxious to get the waterfalls back.

"They ask what happened to one of their favorite park features and when they will get them back permanently," he said.

The falls often served as backdrops for wedding photos and family reunions. Today, there are barren rocks and weeds in place of the picturesque waterfalls.

Some park patrons do not seem to mind though.

Daly City resident Sami Aljanaby, who visits the park every month with his two sons, keeps his spirit up.

"We have to respect the reason behind the decision to limit the operation of the falls. If it does good, it's OK," he said.

His son, Sammy, 12, echoed his father's sentiments.

"I don't think they were thinking of the people when they turned off the falls, but I guess it's to save, so that's OK," he said.