AP Environmental Science
Hetch Hetchy Interest Groups
John Muir / John Muir & The Society for the Preservation of National Parks
1. You argue that Hetch Hetchy is a wilderness area that must be saved from all sorts of commercialism and marks of man's work". John Muir, founder and president of the Sierra Club, 'is one of your main spokespersons.
2. Yosemite National Park is a public playground that should not be turned over to any special interest. Granting San Francisco the right to drown the valley would deny the public's right to the valley for recreational purposes.
3. You acknowledge the need for an adequate municipal water supply, but feel that it could be found outside our wild mountain parks. There are other sites outside Yosemite that could be used. The city itself reviewed thirteen other sites.
4. It is important that we uphold aesthetic and spiritual values by not sacrificing Yosemite, just because this is the least expensive option for the City of San Francisco.
5. Through vigorous campaigning and letter writing, you have aroused tremendous protest against the reservoir from many popular magazines, sportsman's clubs, scientific societies, colleges and universities, and women's clubs. Consequently, you have a lot of support throughout the nation and already defeated the plan once.
Gifford Pinchot / Gifford Pinchot and the Conservationists
1. You believe that "the highest possible use which could be made Hetch Hetchy would be to supply pure water to a great center of population', (the City of San Francisco). One of the chief proponents of your point of view is the Governor of Pennsylvania, Gifford Pinchot. He is also a respected environmentalist.
2. You acknowledge the wilderness qualities of Hetch Hetchy, but in this case we must place the material needs of the people of San Francisco first. In fact, some, including geologist Andrew Lawson (who named the San Andres fault), believe that "the like which will be created. .. will be but a restoration on a large scale of a lake which once existed then (after glacial deposition). The new lake will seem very natural in its mountain setting.
3. You base your arguments for the reservoir on the policy of conservation. According to this Policy, “every part of the land and its resources must be put to that use which will serve the most people. And more needy people will benefit from this water than those few who want "solitary loneliness" and "the mere scenic value of the mountains."
4. You may want to suggest that roads and trails be built by the city and donated to the United States for recreation.
5. You may want to suggest the development of electric power for municipal and commercial use to reduce fuel oil consumption. You might want to insist that the water of power not be available for resale to allow private parties to "profit" on this natural resource.
San Joaquin Farmer / San Joaquin Valley Farmers
1. As farmers, you depend on a constant supply of water to irrigate your fields. The Tuolumne River is your primary source of water, If the Raker Act is approved, this river will be dammed and much of its water will be diverted through aqueducts to the city of San Francisco.
2. You are concerned that the city will divert so much water that your supply (or irrigation purposes will be endangered. As one Senator Borah noted. "It should kill the potential of valley agriculture.”
3. You need enough water to irrigate 257,000 acres of farmland. Presently, you can divert 3,600 acre feet (the amount of water needed to cover one acre of land with one foot of water is called an acre foot), of water each day from the Tuolumne River. The normal flow of the river is 4,700 acre feet a day. During floods, 40,000 to 60,000 acre feet come down the river daily.
4. In 1906, similar arguments in conjunction with Turlock and Modesto Irrigation District staff convinced the San Francisco Board of Supervisors to abandon Hetch Hetchy development. (Unfortunately, the earthquake later that year disrupted the water supply and the city burned for three days. The proposal was resurrected.)
5. You demand some guarantee that the rapidly growing population of San Francisco will not some day take away your entire water supply. Presently, you need 3,600 acre feet of water every day. You will require more in the near future.
Board Member / Spring Valley Water Company
1. You are a private corporation. Since franchised in 1858 you have been competing with the San Francisco City Water Works to provide the city with water. You bought the water works in 1863 and now the city is entirely dependent on your company.
2. The city has been trying to buy you out since 1873. But the voters thought the price was too high.
3. The city has made some recommendations to buy other sites to begin a municipal utility. Luckily, you "heard" about the plans in time to buy the land and water rights to the Calaveras site and effectively block the competition.
4. Being a utility, the Board of Supervisors set your water rates in 1880. Your stockholders felt the rates may be too low to encourage development of new water sources. Yet, you continue to develop new sites for the city including one of the world's highest earth dam at Pilarcitos
5. You want assurances that the City won't put you out of business.
Mayor James "Sonny Jim" Ralph, Jr.
City Engineer Michael "The Chief O'Shaughnessy / City of San Francisco
1. All of your water is presently supplied by one company. Spring Valley Water Company. This company is using all of its available water sources. Demand for water will soon exceed supply. You are not convinced the company is doing all it can to develop new w sources. Its stockholders claim water rates are not high enough for them to take the risk. Your city engineer suggested a site in Calaveras. Due to a "leak", the company found out and beat you to purchasing the site.
2. You have tried to buy-out the company since 1873, but voters thought the price was too high.
3. In 1901, City engineer Grunsky recommended the Tuolumne River after studying 14 options including the Spring Valley Water Company. To prevent speculation, the mayor filed for water rights as a private citizen. In 1903, the Interior Secretary denied the first application to develop Hetch Hetchy. The Board of Supervisors abandons the plan.
4. The city is suffering chronic freshwater shortages. The earthquake of 1906 in particular emphasized this when the water supply was disrupted and the city burned for three days.
5. In 1908, you resubmit the plan to the Secretary of the Interior. He gives limited permission. In June, voters pass a $600,000 bond issue to buy the surrounding lands. In 1910, San Francisco votes 20 to I for a $45 million bond to build the project.
6. In 1910, a new Interior Secretary withdraws the permit to construct a reservoir at Hetch Hetchy and Lake Eleanor. The Secretary appoints a Board of Army Engineers to study the matter.
7. They recommend in 1913 that Hetch Hetchy will be $20 million cheaper to build. The Secretary of Interior refuses further permits without Congressional authority.
8. You introduce a bill (the Raker Act) directly to Congress that, if approved, would give the city all rights to these sites. If the Act is approved, water supply to San Francisco would cease to be controlled by a private monopoly, but would be owned by the citizens of San Francisco.
9. The city acknowledges the recreational value found in Hetch Hetchy Valley, but in this case, human health, comfort, and even human life are at stake.
10. Building a reservoir in Hetch Hetchy Valley would actually improve the scenery. Roads and trails could be constructed around the reservoir, thereby making the region more accessible to the public as a "playground."
11. You argue that diverting water from the Tuolumne River for your city would have no effect upon the San Joaquin Valley farmers since many times the amount of water they presently require for crop irrigation is allowed to flow unused to the sea. San Francisco would store the excess water during flood season. You can guarantee a constant adequate water supply to the farmers.
12. You may want to offer any power generated by the project to the farmers at a fair cost in return for their support of the Raker Act.
J. R. Freeman, American Society of Engineers / Army Corps of Engineers
1. Interior Secretary Ballinger has withdrawn Hetch Hetchy from a permit granted by Secretary Garfield. In 1910, he requests that an Advisory Board of Army Engineers be brought in to review the matter.
2. As engineers, you job is to find and recommend to the City of San Francisco possible reservoir sites that would supply the city with an adequate amount of fresh water.
3. Potential sites must meet these criteria:
· The water must be of good quality.
· There must be enough water to meet the needs of the city under any climatic conditions (i.e. drought).
· Any industry or land holders that have legal claims on the water supply being considered must be compensated before construction of the reservoir may begin.
· The site must provide water that can be collected and delivered to the city with minimal cost.
4. As early as 1882, Tuolumne water had been proposed for San Francisco. The United States Geologic Survey recommended Hetch Hetchy in their 1899-1900 annual report. City Engineer Grim sky from San Francisco recommended Tuolumne/Hetch Hetchy after reviewing 14 possible water systems, including several local companies. Lake Tahoe, the Sacramento River, and others.
5. Although nine other sites meet the first three criteria, none meets the minimal cost criteria as perfectly as the Hetch Hetchy-Lake Eleanor site.
· These sites would be the least costly because electrical power could be generated at the reservoir and sold to profit the project.
· The city would have to pay much less for water rights along this route than along the others that had been considered.
6. After thoroughly studying all water sources in California for nearly three years, you have chosen the Hetch Hetchy-Lake Eleanor site as the least expensive and most economical water supply for the City of San Francisco. It is projected to be $20 million cheaper.