Hetch Hetchy History
In 1901, the John Muir led the Sierra Club and a group of civic and conservation organizations in a campaign to protect the Hetch Hetchy Valley, a part of Yosemite National Park, from being filled by a reservoir. After a long battle, Congress passed the Raker Act in 1913, allowing the city of San Francisco to build a dam and reservoir at Hetch Hetchy, drowning this beautiful valley.
It was the first time the young national park system had been so violated. Although John Muir lost that battle, the loss of Hetch Hetchy served to awaken the nation in defense of its national parks. Remembering the loss of Hetch Hetchy, in the 1950s and 1960s, the conservationists successfully stopped dams from being built in Dinosaur National Monument and in Grand Canyon National Park.
By understanding the tragic history of Hetch Hetchy, we realize that the dam needn't have been built in the first place. But, now that it has been built, and has been taken away from the American people for nearly 100 years, it is time to give it back. We believe the beautiful Hetch Hetchy Valley can be restored, while still providing water and power to San Francisco.
Read the following links to learn more about the tragedy of Hetch Hetchy.
- The Battle Over Hetch Hetchy by Robert W. Righter (2005)
- Sierra Club Restore Hetch Hetchy Task Force - Comprehensive resources about the Hetch Hetchy battles from John Muir's time to the present
- Interview of David Brower by Ron Good and Lee Stetson
- History of Hetch Hetchy - Focus on the first Hetch Hetchy battle (1901-1914) from the Sierra Club
- New York Times 1913 Editorials Opposing Damming of Hetch Hetchy
- David Brower (1912-2000) Memorial - Information about one of Restore Hetch Hetchy's founders.
- John Muir Exhibit - Information about John Muir, founder of the world-wide conservation movement, who spent the last years of his life fighting Hetch Hetchy.
- Books about Hetch Hetchy - Compiled by the Sierra Club . Two books published in 2005 are particularly important - as well as others listed here.
- A Tale of Two Valleys by King Huber - About the geological history of Hetch Hetchy compared to Yosemite Valley, reprinted by permission of King Huber and the Yosemite Association from the Fall, 2004 edition of their journal, Yosemite.
To get involved in the effort to restore Hetch Hetchy, contact Restore Hetch Hetchy at: info@hetchhetchy.org, P.O. Box 565 San Francisco, CA 94104. Telephone: (415) 956-0401