The battle over Hetch Hetchy

Description

In the wake of the devastating 1906 earthquake and fire, the city of San Francisco desperately needed reliable supplies of water and electricity. Its mayor, James Phelan, pressed for the damming of the Tuolumne River in the newly created Yosemite National Park, setting off a firestorm ofprotest. For the first time in American history, a significant national opposition arose to defend and preserve nature, led by John Muir and the Sierra Club, who sought to protect what they believed was the right of all Americans to experience natural beauty, particularly the magnificent mountainsof the Yosemite region. Yet the defenders of the valley, while opposing the creation of a dam and reservoir, did not intend for it to be maintained as wilderness. Instead they advocated a different kind of development--the building of roads, hotels, and an infrastructure to support recreationaltourism...

First Sentence

"IMAGINE YOURSELF in Hetch Hetchy," wrote John Muir.

Description

Rebuilding after the 1906 earthquake, the city of San Francisco petitioned for a water reservoir to be constructed within the newly created Yosemite National Park. This sparked a debate over whether nature should be controlled or left alone, from which emerged the modern environmentalism movement.

Subjects

Other Editions

• The battle over Hetch Hetchy: America's most controversial dam and the birth of modern environmentalismOxford University Press2005-01-01
• The battle over Hetch HetchyOxford University Press2005-01-01
• The battle over Hetch HetchyOxford University Press2005-01-01
• Battle over Hetch HetchyOxford University Press2005-01-01
• The Battle over Hetch HetchyOxford University Press, USA2005-02-18
• The Battle over Hetch HetchyOxford University Press, USA2006-07-24