Hetch Hetchy inspires the conservation movement

Nestled in Yosemite National Park there once stood a natural wonder of formidable grandeur and boundless beauty. The Hetch Hetchy Valley, often referred to as Yosemite’s little sister, used to boast cascading waterfalls over magnificent granite cliffs as the Tuolumne River freely flowed through the valley floor. An abundant and diverse population of bird species, other wildlife and lush fauna also thrived there. Unfortunately, we will never know more about Hetch Hetchy than what has been documented by the few men and women who witnessed its beauty before it was destroyed.

Today the Hetch Hetchy Valley is submerged under 400 feet of water (Felzer, 1973). A monument to man’s ingenuity, the municipally owned O’Shaughnessy Dam now situated in the valley provides water for 2.4 million residents and businesses in the San Francisco Bay Area. The reservoir and aqueduct system also generates hydroelectric power that is distributed by a private utility company. In his historical account of the dam''s construction, author Ron Felzer exclaimed, “390,000 cubic yards of concrete were poured, and over 6 million board feet of lumber were cut—within the Park!”

Some people mourn the demolition of Hetch Hetchy as a national treasure, while others marvel at exploiting its natural resources. Regardless, the Hetch Hetchy controversy, which began at the turn of the twentieth century, has played a pivotal role in America's conservation movement. Of the many voices that influenced history on this subject, none were more prevalent than those of preservationist John Muir, and conservationists Gifford Pinchot and President Theodore Roosevelt. The outcome of the Hetch Hetchy debate symbolized the adoption of a “wise-use” conservation policy by the United States.