,water and ,power                       
for                                ,san 
,francisco                              
from                                    
,hetch-,hetchy ,valley                  
in                            ,yosemite 
,national ,park                         
by                           ,,martin   
,s4 ,,vilas1 ,a4 ,m41                   
,member of the                 ,bars of 
,california1 ,vermont and ,washington4  
,copyrighted #aiae by                   
,,martin ,,samuel ,,vilas               
,,unsolicited ,,statements    ,of ,u4   
,s4 ,senator ,elect and ,ex-,mayor      
,phelan1 ,congressman ,raker and ,san   
,francisco ,officials as to this        
,article                                
,,washington1 ,d4 ,c41 ,march #ad1      
#aiad4    ,i can assure you that your   
clean1 clear presentation of the matter 
was  admirable and much appreciated4    
,,john ,e4 ,,raker4    7,member of      
,congress from ,california and author of
 the ,raker ,bill74           99        

99       99       99       99           
,,san ,,francisco1 ,,cal41 ,february #d1
 #aiad4    ,i think it was a valuable   
contribution to the data on that subject
 and  indicates a considerable study    
upon your part4                         
,,andrew ,j4 ,,gallagher4    7,member of
 ,board of ,supervisors1 ,city of ,san  
,francisco74           99       99      
99       99       99                    
,,san ,,francisco1 ,,cal41 ,february #b1
 #aiad4    ,i read your article in the  
,chronicle on ,hetch ,hetchy and want to
  compliment you on the thoroughness    
with which you handled the subject4     
,j4 ,s4 ,,dunnigan4    7,clerk1 ,board  
of ,supervisors1 ,city of ,san          
,francisco74           99       99      
99       99       99                    
,,san ,,francisco1 ,,cal41 ,january #bi1
 #aiad4    ,i 444 feel that you are     
entitled to considerable praise for the 
concise  and clear manner in which you  
have covered a very comprehensive       
subject4                                

,,wm4 ,,mccarthy4    7,member of ,board 
of ,supervisors1 ,city of ,san          
,francisco74           99       99      
99       99       99                    
,,san ,,francisco1 ,,cal41 ,january #bi1
 #aiad4    ,i read with much interest   
and satisfaction your very comprehensive
 and  accurate article on the           
,hetch-,hetchy4                         
,,james ,d4 ,,phelan4    7,ex-,mayor of 
,san ,francisco and ,u4 ,s4 ,senator    
elect from ,california74           99   
99       99       99       99           
,,san ,,francisco1 ,,cal41 ,january #bf1
 #aiad4    ,i beg to compliment you on  
the clearness and conciseness with which
 you  have stated many of the           
controversial points involved in same4  
,i have had  so much of it in the past  
year and ,i had to take up so many      
angles of the  conflict that your resum 
is decidedly refreshing4                
,m4 ,m4 ,o',,shaughnessy4    7,city     
,engineer1 ,city of ,san ,francisco74   
99       99       99       99       99  

,,san ,,francisco1 ,,cal41 ,january #bi1
 #aiad4    444 ,i beg to say to you in  
person what ,i long since wrote to the  
editor  of the ,chronicle4 ,i stated to 
him that the article was a very valuable
  contribution to the literature on the 
,hetch-,hetchy subject1 and was the     
best general exposition of the case that
 ,i had read in any newspaper and  that1
 furthermore1 the article was           
practically free from error4 ,i have    
long since added it to my scrap book4   
,,alexander ,t4 ,,vogelsang4    7,member
 of ,board of ,supervisors1 ,city of    
,san ,francisco1 and member of law  firm
 of ,vogelsang  ,brown74           99   
99       99       99       99           
,,san ,,francisco1 ,,cal41 ,february #f1
 #aiad4    ,i consider it the best resum
 of the ,hetch-,hetchy scheme that has  
been  written4 ,i sent to the ,chronicle
 for ten more copies after reading it   
in order that ,i might use it in the    
future4    ,i trust that the article    
will have a very wide circulation1 for  

it  cannot but help convince every fair 
minded individual not only that ,san    
,francisco's application for rights has 
not been hastily considered but  fair   
play demanded the grant4    ,speaking   
for myself1 ,i thank you very much for  
your kindly interest in  the matter and 
for your very careful and comprehensive 
article4                                
,,percy ,v4 ,,long4    7,city ,attorney 
of the ,city of ,san ,francisco74       
99       99       99       99       99  
,illustration3 ,,hon4 ,,james ,d4       
,,phelan1 ,ex-,mayor of ,san ,francisco 
and ,u4 ,s4  ,senator from ,california4 
,one of the men most conspicuous in     
obtaining water and power for ,san      
,francisco from ,hetch ,hetchy ,valley4 
,illustration3 ,,hon4 ,,james ,,rolph1  
,,jr41 ,mayor of ,san ,francisco1 ,cal4 
,one of the men most conspicuous in     
obtaining water and power for ,san      
,francisco from ,hetch ,hetchy ,valley4 
,,how ,,the ,,raker ,,bill ,,affects    
,,yosemite ,,national ,,park1 ,,san     

,,francisco1 ,,and ,,the  ,,rest ,,of   
,,california    ,facts ,regarding       
,mountain ,supply    ,history of ,city's
 ,fight for ,pure and ,adequate ,water  
,,benefits ,,to ,,be ,,derived    ,bay  
,counties and ,irrigation ,districts    
,provided for ,in ,national ,grant      
,by ,,martin ,s4 ,,vilas      ,the      
,raker ,bill1 named for ,john ,e4 ,raker
 of ,modoc county1 ,cal41 a member  of  
,congress1 was reported unanimously by  
the ,house ,committee on the  ,public   
,lands at the special session of        
,congress in the summer of #aiac1  after
 a hearing occupying several days1 and  
under its recommendation  passed the    
,house4 ,this bill was reported         
favorably by the ,senate  ,committee on 
the ,public ,lands1 and1 after a hard   
fought contest1  occupying a week on the
 floor of the ,senate1 passed that body 
,december  #fth1 #aiac1 by a vote of #dc
 to #be4 ,it received the approval of   
,president  ,wilson and became a law on 
,december #ai1 #aiac4    ,the enactment 

of this bill ended a continuous effort  
on the part of ,san  ,francisco1        
covering a period of many years1 to     
obtain the legal right to  take water   
from ,hetch-,hetchy4 ,it marked the end 
of a contest1 spirited  and hard fought1
 which was participated in by the       
magazines and press the  country over1  
and in which the great majority of      
publications outside of  ,california    
opposed the plan of ,san ,francisco4    
,as this legislation affords legal      
opportunity for a water project         
primarily for domestic use1 which is in 
itself a signal and notable  work of    
engineering2 as it affects vitally and  
strongly the irrigation  interests of a 
state having a length of about #gge     
miles and a land  surface greater than  
the combined areas of the six ,new      
,england ,states1  of ,new ,york1 ,new  
,jersey1 ,delaware and ,ohio--a ,state  
which ,james ,bryce  characterized as an
 empire within itself2 as it gives a    
,state a very  important easement1      

likely to be enduring1 in a national    
park sharing  alone with the great      
,yellowstone ,national ,park in         
distinctiveness and  notoriety2 as it is
 designed to provide the legal means of 
furnishing  water and much power for the
 next #ajj years for a rapidly growing  
metropolitan section1 now more          
numerously peopled than any other west  
of  ,chicago1 the ,raker ,bill and its  
accessories are of national interest4   
,for the foregoing reasons inquiry is   
made3    ,first--,what is               
,hetch-,hetchy1 and what1 if any1 are   
the present holdings  and interests of  
,san ,francisco in the ,yosemite        
,national ,park8    ,second--,what is   
the ,raker ,bill8    ,third--,what will 
be the operative effects of the ,raker  
,bill on ,san  ,francisco and the rest  
of ,california outside the ,yosemite    
,national ,park8    ,fourth--,what will 
be the operative effects of the ,raker  
,bill on the  ,yosemite ,national ,park8
      ,i4 ,what is ,hetch-,hetchy1 and  

what1 if any are the present holdings   
and  interests of ,san ,francisco in the
 ,yosemite ,national ,park8    7#a7     
,until the agitation connected with     
obtaining water for ,san ,francisco     
brought in the name of ,hetch-,hetchy1  
the writer supposed ,hetch-,hetchy to   
be probably the name of some ,indian    
chief1 some new brand of cigars or  some
 noted trotting horse4 ,possibly some of
 those who read this article  are still 
nearly as ignorant as was the writer    
then4    ,hetch-,hetchy is the name of a
 valley through which flows the         
,tuolumne  ,river1 and has tributary to 
it a watershed comprising #dei square   
miles4  ,it lies entirely in ,tuolumne  
,county1 ,california1 entirely in the   
,yosemite  ,national ,park1 of which it 
is the northern portion1 and about #afe 
miles  from ,san ,francisco4    ,the    
,yosemite ,national ,park contains about
 #aejj square miles4 ,hetch-,hetchy     
,valley is separated from the ,yosemite 
,valley by a mountain range having  a   

mean elevation of over #hejj feet1 and  
distant from that valley about          
thirty-five miles by mountain trail4    
,the floor of the valley is between     
#cjjj and #djjj feet in altitude1 is    
level and grass covered1 and two or     
three miles long and nearly half a mile 
wide4 ,it is surrounded by steep        
cliffs1 out of which extend deep gorges4
 ,just back of ,hetch-,hetchy is a      
gorge a mile deep and one and a half    
miles wide4 ,the sides of the valley    
are granite and very steep and          
precipitous1 rising to a height of      
between  #bjjj and #ejjj feet in        
different places4 ,the valley is divided
 into two  parts by a large ridge of    
rocks extending nearly across the       
middle4  ,the upper end of it is a high1
 dry area1 covered with tall pine trees1
  varying between #bjj and #cjj feet    
high1 and with live oak and other kinds 
of trees1 thus forming a natural park4  
,the grasses1 shrubs1 flowers and  trees
 are beautiful4 ,several distinguished  

naturalists have pronounced  the natural
 growth as very unusual4 ,there are a   
greater variety of trees  and larger    
oaks in the ,hetch-,hetchy ,valley than 
in the ,yosemite4    ,the area tributary
 to ,hetch-,hetchy is very rough4       
,edmund ,a4 ,whitman1  a lawyer of      
,boston and president of the ,society   
for the ,protection of  ,national       
,parks2 who has several times visited   
,hetch-,hetchy1 in his  testimony before
 the ,house ,committee on the ,public   
,lands last summer1  stated3    8,i     
cannot attempt to describe to you the   
character of the country4 ,it is  some  
of the roughest ,god ever made4 ,you do 
not find little places here  and there  
with grass and water1 but the largest   
part of the country is  the roughest    
sort1 where camping is as impossible as 
it would be on the  top of this table4  
,camping and the use of the park reduces
 itself to one  thing--the feed of      
horses4 ,there are only three places in 
the entire park  where you can take care

 of horses40    ,hetch-,hetchy ,valley  
is difficult of access4 ,because of the 
high1 rough  country surrounding it but 
few people visit it4 ,thus while #fjjj  
or  #gjjj people visit the ,yosemite    
,valley each year1 less than #cjj visit 
,hetch-,hetchy ,valley4 ,the valley1    
difficult to reach in summer1 is        
rendered almost inaccessible as soon as 
the early snows begin to fall1  and in  
winter is enshrouded in four or five    
feet of snow4    ,the summer season in  
that high altitude is short1 and        
rendered shorter  than the ordinary in  
,hetch-,hetchy by the cooling effect of 
the mountain  streams1 almost icy cold1 
and by the surrounding mountain peaks1  
snow-capped except for a small part of  
the year4    ,illustration3 ,,map       
,,showing ,,proposed ,,tuolumne ,,water 
,,system    ,illustration3 ,the ,upper  
,hetch-,hetchy ,valley    ,the ,american
 ,city4    ,the ,tuolumne ,river rises  
on the eastern side of ,california among
 the  highest crests of the ,sierras and

 for five or six miles flows through  a 
meadow1 but during the next twenty miles
 drops #cjjj feet1 in which  distance   
some of the falls in the river are      
beautiful and picturesque4  ,next it    
flows for about two miles through       
,hetch-,hetchy ,valley1 then  becomes a 
rushing mountain torrent for twenty     
miles more1 and finally  empties into   
the ,san ,joaquin ,river in ,stanislaus 
,county1 almost directly  east of the   
southern end of ,san ,francisco ,bay4   
,lake ,eleanor and ,cherry ,valley are  
northwest of ,hetch-,hetchy4 ,lake      
,eleanor1 distant about eight miles1 is 
approximately #ajjj feet higher  than   
,hetch-,hetchy4 ,cherry ,valley is      
distant about twelve miles and is       
approximately #ajjj feet higher than    
,eleanor4 ,cherry ,valley has tributary 
to it #aad square miles of territory1   
all in the ,stanislaus ,national  ,park4
 ,lake ,eleanor and the seventy-nine    
square miles tributary to it are        
entirely in the ,yosemite ,national     

,park4 ,the outlets of ,cherry ,valley  
and  of ,lake ,eleanor empty into the   
,tuolumne ,river several miles nearer   
the  ,san ,joaquin than ,hetch-,hetchy4 
7#b7 ,a report of the ,state ,geologist 
of ,california in #ahgi suggested       
,hetch-,hetchy ,valley and ,lake        
,eleanor as possible sources of water   
supply  for the city of ,san ,francisco4
    ,in #ahhc a corporation was formed  
to supply water to ,san ,francisco from 
the sources of the ,tuolumne ,river4    
,filings were made and considerable     
work put in4 ,in #aija the ,city        
,engineer was directed to examine the   
available sources of water supply for   
,san ,francisco4 ,he investigated       
fourteen different sources and under    
suggestion of the reclamation  service  
spent about #ej1jjj in detailed         
investigation of the sources  of the    
,tuolumne1 with a view to utilization at
 ,hetch-,hetchy and ,lake  ,eleanor4    
,that was before the section was taken  
into the ,yosemite ,national  ,park in  

#aije4    ,the city engineer made his   
report in #aija when ,james ,d4 ,phelan 
was ,mayor4  ,this report was           
immediately approved by the ,board of   
,public ,works and  since then has been 
the settled municipal policy of ,san    
,francisco so far  as water is          
concerned4 ,this report recommended the 
,tuolumne ,river in the  following      
words3    8,this source presents the    
following unrivalled advantages3        
,absolute  purity by reason of the      
unhabitable character of the entire     
watershed  tributary to the reservoirs  
and largely within a forest reservation4
  ,abundance far beyond possible future 
demands for all purposes4 ,largest  and 
most numerous sites for storage2 freedom
 from complication of water  rights2    
power possibilities outside the         
reservation4    8,it has the drawback of
 distance to overcome1 requiring the    
constructing  of conduits aggregating   
#adb miles in length4 ,but considering  
the partial  and rapid rate of pollution

 to which all other sources may in the  
future  be subjected1 particularly      
nearby sources1 the ,tuolumne ,river is 
far  superior to any other40            
,thereupon1 ,mayor ,phelan posted       
notices on the banks of the ,tuolumne on
  ,july #bi1 #aija1 of his claim to     
#aj1jjj miner's inches of the waters of 
that river1 8for irrigation1            
manufacturing purposes1 water power and 
domestic use40 ,phelan1 when his rights 
matured1 assigned them to the  city1 as 
the law did not allow a municipality to 
make a filing4    ,under a grant issued 
,may #aa1 #aijh1 by ,james ,r4          
,garfield1 ,secretary of the  ,interior1
 ,san ,francisco obtained permission to 
store the waters of ,lake  ,eleanor and 
,cherry ,valley1 develop them to their  
highest capacity1 and  when they should 
prove insufficient for the needs of the 
city1 to store  water in the            
,hetch-,hetchy ,valley by crossing it   
with a dam4 ,secretary  ,garfield       
conditioned in this grant that ,san     

,francisco should submit the            
proposition to the people of the city   
for ratification1 should buy up all  the
 land held by private owners around     
,hetch-,hetchy and ,lake ,eleanor and   
hold such land for the city4    ,this   
proposition was voted upon by the legal 
voters of ,san ,francisco  in ,november1
 #aiji1 in a resolution as to whether or
 not they wished to  acquire a means of 
water supply in the sources of the      
,tuolumne ,river1  according to the     
terms of the ,garfield permit1 and to   
vote a municipal  bond issue of #fjj1jjj
 to obtain the land and water rights    
necessary  therefor4 ,the proposition   
was carried by a vote of more than five 
to one4    ,thereupon ,san ,francisco   
paid #agd1caa4bj for #gbj acres of      
privately owned  land in the            
,hetch-,hetchy ,valley and for certain  
other lands so held which  were not on  
the floor of the valley1 but which1     
under the permit1 the  city must buy for
 camp sites1 so that when campers were  

excluded from  the floor of the valley  
they still might have a place to camp4  
,these #gbj  acres comprise about       
two-thirds of the floor of              
,hetch-,hetchy ,valley4 ,they  are now  
held by ,san ,francisco in fee simple   
title4 ,next the city bought  standing  
timber from the ,government around ,lake
 ,eleanor for #ac1dbh4gg4  ,then out of 
the #fjj1jjj voted1 the city bought the 
land and water rights  claimed by       
private owners around ,lake ,eleanor for
 #djj1jjj4    ,in ,january1 #aiaj1 under
 the suggestion of ,secretary of the    
,interior  ,ballinger1 the proposition  
to obtain water for the city from the   
sources  of ,tuolumne and to authorize  
the issuance of bonds in the amount of  
#de1jjj1jjj was submitted to the legal  
voters of ,san ,francisco4 ,some        
#cj1jjj votes were cast and only about  
#abjj votes were in opposition4    ,the 
city supposed it had bought all         
available water rights of ,lake         
,eleanor and ,cherry ,valley4 ,that the 

city had not soon developed1 and  it    
expended #fjj1jjj more to control these 
rights4 ,the expense of  investigations 
around the sources of the ,tuolumne has 
been #cjj1jjj or  #djj1jjj4 ,hence1 upon
 the project ,san ,francisco has already
 paid out in  excess of #a1ejj1jjj1     
probably nearly #a1gjj1jjj4    ,of the  
#agd1jjj spent on lands in              
,hetch-,hetchy1 #ha1cjf4ah were spent   
for  #gbj acres4 ,for the exchange lands
 #ib1deg4jb were expended4 #fdj acres   
outside the valley proper were bought   
for camp sites under the order of  the  
,secretary of the ,interior4 ,at ,lake  
,eleanor private persons owned  nearly  
all the dam sites4 ,now ,san ,francisco 
owns about one-half and the  ,united    
,states ,government about one-half4     
,here the development will be  very     
expensive4    ,at ,cherry ,valley almost
 everything is owned by ,san ,francisco4
 ,owners  of property around ,cherry    
,valley and ,lake ,eleanor received     
#a1jjj1jjj  for property which cost them

 approximately #ajj1jjj4 ,the area in   
the  irrigation districts below the dam 
sites is mostly included in the         
,turlock-,modesto district4 ,in the     
vicinity of ,hetch-,hetchy ,valley the  
city  owns #ajdj acres and around ,lake 
,eleanor1 all in the ,national ,park1   
#ibj4cc  acres more1 making a total     
inside the park of #aifj4cc acres4 ,in  
,cherry  ,creek the city owns #hfj acres
 below ,hetch-,hetchy1 in ,hog ,ranch   
#cbb4de  acres1 and in ,ike ,dye ,ranch 
#afc4fh acres1 making a total of        
#cdjf4df acres4    ,secretary           
,ballinger1 in #aiji1 requested the     
matter be taken up de novo4  ,at the    
direction of ,president ,taft a board of
 three army officers was  assigned by   
the ,chief of ,engineers to investigate 
and report on the  subject of water     
supply for ,san ,francisco as bearing   
particularly upon  the need of the      
sources of the ,tuolumne for ,san       
,francisco4 ,this board of  engineers   
was appointed in #aiaa and consisted of 

,colonel ,john ,biddle1  ,colonel       
,spencer ,cosby and ,colonel ,harry     
,taylor4 ,it occupied two years  in a   
thorough investigation of all available 
sources of water supply  for ,san       
,francisco and made a complete1 detailed
 report1 ,february #ai1  #aiac4 ,this   
board testified at length before the    
,committee on the ,public  ,lands of the
 ,house of ,representatives in its      
hearings on the ,raker ,bill4  ,the     
statements of its chairman1 ,colonel    
,john ,biddle1 formed the most          
exhaustive1 detailed and apparently     
accurate testimony there given upon  the
 available water supplies for ,san      
,francisco4    ,secretary of the        
,interior ,fisher1 successor of         
,secretary ,ballinger1  wished the      
subject investigated as an absolutely   
new proposition4 ,john ,r4  ,freeman of 
,providence1 ,r4 ,i41 perhaps the ablest
 engineer in the country  upon water    
supplies1 was engaged and spent much    
time in ,california upon  the subject at

 a cost of about #cjj1jjj4 ,two years   
were occupied by  these investigations1 
entirely independent of the work of the 
board of  army engineers4 ,the result of
 the research of ,engineer ,john ,r4    
,freeman  was a comprehensive report    
recommending that this source is        
preferable  to all others1 and that the 
,hetch-,hetchy ,valley be developed     
first and  ,lake ,eleanor ,valley and   
,cherry ,creek be made secondary and    
accessory  to ,hetch-,hetchy4 ,in       
,november1 #aiac1 ,secretary ,fisher    
came to ,san  ,francisco and held a     
hearing lasting ten days1 when the      
entire matter was  presented4 ,within a 
week of the retirement of ,secretary    
,fisher from the  ,cabinet with the     
going out of ,president ,taft1 the      
,secretary recommended  that some action
 be taken on the part of ,congress1 as  
the acts of #aija to  #aije1 together   
with the ,garfield permit1 were somewhat
 indefinite and the  precise authority  
of the ,secretary of the ,interior      

therein questionable4  ,hence the ,raker
 ,bill4      ,,ii4 ,what is the ,raker  
,bill8    ,this bill is entitled 8,a    
bill granting to the city and county of 
,san  ,francisco certain rights of way  
in1 over and through certain public     
lands1 the ,yosemite ,national ,park and
 ,stanislaus ,national ,forest1 and the 
public lands in the ,state of           
,california1 and for other purposes40   
,it is  in eleven sections4    ,the bill
 grants to the city and county of ,san  
,francisco necessary rights  of way     
through the public lands of the ,united 
,states to ,hetch-,hetchy  ,valley1     
,lake ,eleanor and ,cherry ,valley for  
the purpose of constructing1  operating 
and maintaining aqueducts 8for conveying
 water for domestic  purposes and uses  
to the city and county of ,san          
,francisco1 and such other              
municipalities and water districts as1  
with the consent of the city and  county
 of ,san ,francisco1 or in accordance   
with the laws of the ,state  of         

,california in force at the time        
application is made1 may hereafter      
participate in the beneficial use of the
 rights and privileges of this  act10   
and 8for the purpose of constructing1   
operating and maintaining  power and    
electric plants1 poles and lines for    
generation1 sale and  distribution of   
electric energy2 also for the purpose of
 constructing1  operating and           
maintaining telephone and telegraph     
lines40    ,the whole construction and  
maintenance is under such conditions and
  regulations as may be fixed by the    
,secretary of the ,interior and the     
,secretary of ,agriculture within their 
respective jurisdictions4    ,section #g
 is as follows3        8,that for and in
 consideration of the grant by the      
,united      ,states as provided for in 
this act1 the said grantee shall be     
required to assign free of cost to the  
,united ,states all roads      and      
trails built under the provisions       
hereof2 and1 further1      after the    

expiration of five years from the       
passage of this act      the grantee    
shall be required to pay to the ,united 
,states the      sum of #ae1jjj annually
 for a period of ten years1 beginning   
with the expiration of the five-year    
period before mentioned1      and for   
the remainder of the term of the grant1 
shall1 unless      otherwise provided by
 ,congress1 pay the sum of #cj1jjj      
annually1 said sums to be paid on the   
#ast day of ,july of each      year4    
,said sums shall be kept in a separate  
fund by the ,united      ,states1 to be 
applied to the building and maintenance 
of roads      and trails and other      
improvements in the ,yosemite ,national 
,park and other national parks in the   
,state of ,california4 ,the             
,secretary of the ,interior shall       
designate the uses to be made      of   
sums paid under the provisions of this  
section1 under the      conditions      
specified herein40    ,the sanitary     
regulations are strict under this bill4 

,no offal or refuse  can be placed 8in  
the waters of any reservoir or stream or
 within #cjj  feet thereof within the   
watershed above and around said         
reservoir sites40    ,a filtration plant
 may be installed at the discretion of  
the grantee4    ,illustration3 ,lake    
,eleanor as it now is4    ,illustration3
 ,the ,lake ,eleanor ,dam ,site4    ,the
 ,american ,city4    ,section #i        
provides3        8,that the said grantee
 shall recognize the prior rights of the
      ,modesto irrigation district and  
the ,turlock irrigation district      as
 now constituted under the laws of the  
,state of ,california1      or as said  
districts may be hereafter enlarged to  
contain in      the aggregate not to    
exceed #cjj1jjj acres of land to receive
      #bcej second feet of the natural  
daily flow of the ,tuolumne      ,river1
 measured at the ,la ,grange dam1       
whenever the same can be                
beneficially used by said irrigation    
districts2 and that the      grantee    

shall never interfere with said rights40
    ,the last of section #i provides3   
8,that at such time as the aggregate    
daily natural flow of      the watershed
 of the ,tuolumne and its tributaries1  
measured      at the ,la ,grange dam    
shall be less than said districts can   
beneficially use and less than #bcej    
second feet1 then and in      that event
 the said grantee shall release1 free of
 charge1 the      entire natural daily  
flow of the streams which it has under  
this grant intercepted40    ,proviso is 
also made that if the lower irrigation  
districts desire more  than the usual   
amount they may have it up to a certain 
quantity by paying  a rate fixed by the 
,secretary of the ,interior4    ,under  
section #i other provisions are3        
8,that the said grantee shall not divert
 beyond the limits of      the ,san     
,joaquin ,valley any more of the waters 
from the ,tuolumne      watershed than1 
together with the waters which it now   
has or      may hereafter acquire1 shall

 be necessary for its beneficial        
use for domestic and other municipal    
purposes4        8,that when the said   
grantee begins the development of the   
,hetch-,hetchy reservoir site it shall  
undertake and vigorously      prosecute 
to completion a dam at least #bjj feet  
high1 with a      foundation capable of 
supporting said dam when built to its   
greatest economic and safe height4      
8,that the said grantee shall upon      
request sell or supply to      said     
irrigation districts and also to the    
municipalities      within either or    
both said irrigation districts1 for the 
use      of any land owner or owners    
therein for pumping subsurface          
water for drainage or irrigation1 or for
 the actual municipal      public       
purposes of said municipalities 7which  
purposes shall      not include sale to 
private persons or corporations71 any   
excess of electrical energy which may be
 generated and which      may be so     
beneficially used by said irrigation    

districts or      municipalities4       
8,that the right of said grantee in the 
,tuolumne water supply to      develop  
electric power for either municipal or  
commercial use      is to be made       
conditional upon its installing1        
operating and      maintaining apparatus
 capable of developing and transmitting1
      under a general increase in       
amount1 not less than #fj1jjj           
horse-power at the end of twenty years4 
,the said grantee shall      develop and
 use hydro-electric power for the use of
 its people      and shall at prices to 
be fixed under the laws of ,california1 
or1 in the absence of such laws1 at     
prices approved by the      ,secretary  
of the ,interior1 sell or supply such   
power for      irrigation1 pumping or   
other beneficial use40    ,the bill     
further provides that after twenty years
 the ,secretary of the  ,interior may   
require the grantee to develop1 transmit
 and use or offer  for sale such        
additional power less than #fj1jjj      

horse-power as the  grantee may have    
failed to develop1 transmit1 use or sell
 within the  twenty years4 ,in case of  
the failure of the grantee to carry out 
these  requirements1 the ,secretary of  
the ,interior is authorized to provide  
for  the development1 transmission1 use 
and sale of such power and power not    
developed or used4 ,for that purpose the
 ,secretary 8may take possession of  and
 lease to such person or persons as he  
may designate0 such portion of  the     
property of the grantee as may be       
necessary for the purpose in view4      
,the bill also provides that the grantee
 shall build certain roads and  trails  
in and near ,hetch-,hetchy ,valley4     
,,iii4 ,what will be the operative      
effects of the ,raker ,bill on ,san     
,francisco and the rest of ,california1 
outside the ,yosemite ,national ,park8  
7#a7 ,the situation of ,san ,francisco  
at the end of a long peninsula is not   
one favorable naturally for an abundance
 of water for a city of nearly  half a  

million4 ,during the golden days of '#di
 the water supply came  from a stream   
within the limits of the city4 ,this    
stream is now in the  ,presidio and     
consequently is the property of the     
,united ,states4 ,next  ,lobos ,creek   
water was carried along the shores of   
the ,golden ,gate in a  wooden flume and
 through a tunnel1 then pumped to high  
reservoirs1 from  which it flowed       
through the city4    ,as the city grew1 
the ,spring ,valley ,water ,company came
 into existence  and furnished water for
 the city from a storage reservoir on   
,pilarcitos  ,creek1 about twenty-five  
miles from the city4 ,this company has  
gradually  developed its system and     
about twenty years ago in ,alameda      
county1 on the  east side of the ,bay1  
began to obtain water from a large area 
of gravel  beds4 ,this water was taken  
into a reservoir1 thence through        
aqueducts  and submarine pipes into ,san
 ,francisco4 ,san ,francisco is now     
consuming  about #ej1jjj1jjj gallons of 

water per day4 ,of this amount over     
#h1jjj1jjj  gallons come from private   
wells in different parts of the         
peninsula4 ,the  ,spring ,valley ,water 
,company furnishes about #da1ejj1jjj    
gallons1 of which  about #ag1jjj1jjj    
gallons come from ,san ,mateo ,county4  
,city ,engineer ,m4 ,m4 ,o',shaughnessy 
of ,san ,francisco testified before  the
 ,house ,committee on the ,public ,lands
 in ,washington1 ,june1 #aiac that  this
 city now needs #ge1jjj1jjj gallons of  
water per day and that about  one-third 
of the city is without water and obliged
 to haul it in barrels  and wagons4     
,development of the city has been       
considerably retarded  through lack of  
water4 ,engineer ,o',shaughnessy stated 
before the committee  8for the past     
three or four months ,i have been making
 explorations  all over the city in our 
narrow peninsula1 trying to develop what
  strata there are that will be capable 
in an emergency of relieving our        
situation40    ,the ,spring ,valley     

,water ,company is endeavoring to       
relieve the stress of  the situation by 
starting the construction of the        
so-called ,calaveras dam  in ,calaveras 
,valley4 ,but the supply of water behind
 this is uncertain4  ,the company has   
built galleries seven or eight feet deep
 in the gravel  beds1 into which the    
water percolates4    ,after the disaster
 of #aijf ,san ,francisco bonded itself 
for #f1jjj1jjj and  thereby constructed 
a high pressure auxiliary water system1 
operating  about seventy-two miles of   
pipe4 ,a reservoir was built at an      
elevation of  #fjj feet1 filled through 
a pumping station drawing salt water    
from the  bay4 ,another pumping station 
is now under construction at ,fort      
,mason4    ,the city expects to buy the 
,spring ,valley ,water ,company by      
condemnation  in case purchase cannot be
 effected otherwise4 ,since the passage 
of the  ,raker ,bill condemnation       
proceedings have been begun4    ,the    
territory on both sides of the ,bay1    

extending south to ,san ,jose for  about
 fifty miles1 has a common interest in  
obtaining water4 ,all of its  people    
look to ,san ,francisco to take the     
lead4 ,a population of about  #a1jjj1jjj
 is included here1 of which ,alameda    
furnishes about #be1jjj1  ,oakland about
 #bjj1jjj1 ,berkeley about #ej1jjj and  
,richmond about #ae1jjj4  ,under the law
 passed four years ago1 known as the    
8metropolitan district  act10 two or    
more municipalities are allowed to join 
together in a water  supply association4
 ,oakland1 ,berkeley1 ,alameda and some 
other towns on  the ,bay have joined to 
condemn the local water supply to       
include ,lake  ,chabot4 ,but in these   
towns the situation is even worse than  
in ,san  ,francisco4 ,the eyes of the   
people are turned anxiously to that city
 in  the hope that before long she may  
obtain such an abundance as to fill out 
their lack and to provide for the future
 of these rapidly growing cities4       
,the proposition of ,san ,francisco is  

to build a dam across ,hetch-,hetchy    
,valley #ajj feet at the bottom1 #gfj   
feet at the top and #cjj feet high4     
,this will cover #aicj acres of land    
with water and extend the water back    
between seven and eight miles and one   
and one-half miles wide at the  widest  
point4 ,it is also proposed to build a  
dam #aej feet high and #aejj  feet long 
at ,lake ,eleanor4 ,this will flood     
#addc acres4 ,the ,hetch-,hetchy  dam   
and reservoir will supply in dry seasons
 #bej gallons a day per capita  for     
#a1jjj1jjj people4 ,colonel ,john       
,biddle of the ,board of ,army          
,engineers  estimated the cost of the   
,hetch-,hetchy supply at #gg1jjj1jjj4   
,the final development will give to the 
command of ,san ,francisco between  #djj
 and #ejj million gallons a day4 ,the   
dams will be of massive masonry4  ,the  
water will be carried through           
cement-lined steel pressure pipes and   
concrete lined tunnels ten feet in      
diameter1 cut through the mountains of  

the coast range4 ,there will be about   
eighty-three miles of water tunnels4    
,under the formation of water districts 
this water can be divided between  the  
two sides of the ,bay and approximately 
#a1jjj1jjj people can now  use it4 ,at  
the upper end of the aqueduct will be   
two main power-houses  capable of       
developing #ade1jjj mechanical          
horse-power twenty-four hours  each day 
of the year4    ,the present plans of   
the city provide for its water needs as 
far ahead as  the year #b1jjj1 when at  
the present rate of growth there will be
 over  #c1jjj1jjj people around the     
,bay1 causing a necessity for           
#edj1jjj1jjj  gallons of water daily4   
7#b7 ,before the ,house ,committee in   
,washington1 ,june1 #aiac1 ,colonel     
,biddle  testified that he had made a   
personal examination of every available 
source of water for the city and in     
detail described the features of  each  
source1 its advantages and              
disadvantages4 ,each one was considered 

not merely as to benefits to ,san       
,francisco1 but as to whether or not the
  taking of water would be harmful to   
other sections now using it for other   
than domestic purposes1 especially for  
irrigation4    ,the testimony of        
,colonel ,biddle was that all the water 
of ,california was  needed for domestic 
use and irrigation2 that as the ,state  
is settled more  and more1 and as better
 and better facilities are devised for  
irrigation1  more and more the streams  
are becoming used for these purposes2   
and that  the only available sources of 
water for ,san ,francisco would reach   
either  the ,sacramento or ,san ,joaquin
 rivers1 both flowing into ,san         
,francisco  ,bay1 one from the north and
 one from the south1 and together       
forming a  valley about #ejj miles long4
    ,the chairman of this committee1    
,scott ,ferris1 conducted the           
examination  as follows3        8,with  
the information before you1 coupled with
 the results      of these two          

investigations1 if you were a member of 
this      committee1 having due regard  
for the rights of the irrigation        
people1 those of the nature lovers1 who 
believe that you should      not        
interfere with the ,yosemite ,national  
,park1 and the needs of      ,san       
,francisco1 which system would you vote 
for80        8,biddle--,i would vote for
 the ,hetch-,hetchy system40            
8,chairman--,would you feel1 in casting 
a vote of that kind1 that      you had  
inflicted a greater wrong upon the      
irrigation people      and the nature   
lovers than if you had voted for one of 
the      other systems80                
8,biddle--,no1 sir40    ,the other two  
members of the ,board of ,engineers gave
 this testimony3        8,colonel       
,cosby--,i concur fully with the        
statement of ,colonel      ,biddle4     
,there is not the slightest question in 
my mind but that      this should be    
used as the source of water supply1 and 
not only      that1 but that it will be 

used as a water supply in a very        
short time independently of whether this
 project is adopted      or not4 ,i     
think the pressure will be so great to  
conserve the      water up there that it
 will be used as a storage reservoir4   
,it is by far the best storage reservoir
 in that section of      the country1   
and water is so valuable there that they
 cannot      afford to let it run to    
waste4 ,if you deny the use of it to    
,san ,francisco1 sooner or later the    
water will be put to other      uses4   
,somebody will be asking for permission 
to utilize the      ,hetch-,hetchy      
,valley as a storage reservoir for      
irrigation      purposes40              
8,chairman--,what do you think of the   
equitable distribution made      of it  
under the terms of this bill80          
8,colonel ,taylor--,i do not think the  
irrigation people have      anything to 
complain of in this bill40    ,in #aiac 
the official report of this ,board of   
,army ,engineers is stated3        8,the

 ,board believes that on account of the 
fertility of the      lands under       
irrigation and their aridness without   
water the      necessity of preserving  
all available water in the valleys of   
,california will sooner or later make   
the demand for the use of               
,hetch-,hetchy as a reservoir           
practically irresistible40    ,the      
testimony of the members of the ,board  
obtained great weight because  of their 
unquestioned technical skill and        
experience and their positions1         
entirely disconnected from local        
prejudice and interest4    ,that the    
,raker ,bill will prove of considerable 
advantage to nearly all1  if not to all1
 other interests of the ,state of       
,california outside the ,bay  section   
affected by the ,bill seems to have been
 clearly established4      ,,iv4 ,what  
will be the operative effects of the    
,raker ,bill on the ,yosemite  ,national
 ,park8    ,the total area flooded in   
the ,national ,park will be #ccgc acres4

 ,of these  the city owns about #acjj   
acres4 ,the ,government under the ,raker
 ,bill will  get1 by exchange1 the      
difference between #acjj acres and      
#cadb4gh acres1  which is #ahdb4gh4 ,the
 city will take from the ,government the
 difference  between #acjj acres and    
#ccgc acres1 which is #bjgb4 ,hence1 the
 city will  trade to the ,government as 
much land as it takes for flooding1     
lacking  #abi4bb acres4 ,the forests to 
be covered by the flooding are in no    
part  of the large redwoods1 but are of 
a size frequently found in a ,california
  forest4    ,illustration3 ,,mr4 ,m4   
,m4 ,o',,shaughnessey1 ,city ,engineer  
of ,san ,francisco1  ,cal4    ,one of   
the men most conspicuous in obtaining   
water and power for ,san  ,francisco    
from ,hetch ,hetchy ,valley4            
,illustration3 ,,mr4 ,,percy ,v4 ,,long1
 ,city ,attorney of ,san ,francisco1    
,cal4    ,one of the men most           
conspicuous in obtaining water and power
 for ,san  ,francisco from ,hetch       

,hetchy ,valley4    ,the ,chairman of   
the ,house ,committee before mentioned1 
finally conducted  this examination3    
8,chairman--,don't you think1 as a      
matter of fact1 that the roads1         
trails1 telephones1 etc41 that would    
come with this water      supply        
development would enhance the usefulness
 of the park      from the standpoint of
 poor people who cannot now go there80  
8,colonel ,biddle--,yes1 sir40          
8,chairman--,as matters now stand1 it   
would be pretty extravagant      for    
poor people to undertake to go there40  
8,colonel ,biddle--,it is impossible for
 them1 unless they go in      with      
knapsacks on their backs40              
8,chairman--,poor people do not visit it
 at all1 do they80        8,colonel     
,biddle--,i would not say that1 because 
it is one of the      great delights of 
,californians1 even if they are not well
 off1      to take knapsacks on their   
backs and go to the ,sierras2 but       
they do not really stay long in the     

,hetch-,hetchy ,valley4 ,in the         
early summer the mosquitoes are bad1 in 
the late summer it is      too hot40    
,colonel ,cosby of the ,board of        
,engineers gave this testimony3         
8,taylor of ,colorado--,do you think    
these roads1 provided for      in this  
bill1 will make it accessible to a      
greater number of      people80         
8,colonel ,cosby--,i do4 ,at present ,i 
think there are practically      only   
two classes of people who use it1 people
 who are unusually      wealthy or      
people who are unusually strong and     
healthy and are      able to make the   
trip40    ,seattle1 ,portland1 ,oregon1 
and ,pueblo1 ,col41 go into national    
parks for  their water supplies4 ,los   
,angeles goes into a government forest  
reserve  and brings its water from ,inyo
 ,county1 #bbj miles1 by aqueduct and   
more  than twenty miles by tunnels4     
,gifford ,pinchot1 testifying before    
this ,committee1 stated3 8,as we all    
know1 there is no use of water higher   

than the domestic use4 ,now the         
fundamental principle of the whole      
conservative policy is that of use1 to  
take every part of the land and its     
resources and put it to that use in     
which it will best serve the most       
people40    ,george ,otis ,smith1       
director of the ,geological ,survey1    
stated3 8,i think  we will agree that   
municipal use is the highest value1 next
 irrigation  and lastly power--the      
generation of hydro-electric energy4 ,i 
believe the  highest possible           
utilization of the ,tuolumne1 or of any 
river1 is that  which provides1 as far  
as possible for a combination of these  
three  values and the harmonizing of the
 different uses40      ,v4 ,from the    
foregoing and from all the evidence and 
conditions developed  under this design1
 some conclusions are manifest4    ,the 
,bay section is the largest urban       
section in ,california and is doing     
more business than any other4 ,its      
growth is rapid4 ,san ,francisco is     

coming into control of all her municipal
 utilities4 ,the four great cities  on  
the ,bay are one in interest4 ,they will
 before long probably be one in         
municipal government4 ,this water power 
will be of tremendous commercial        
advantage to these cities4 ,to desire to
 obtain this water power1 is  not sordid
 commercialism or base greed on the part
 of this section4 ,it  is an endeavor to
 make use of the beneficial forces of   
nature4 ,it is  evidence of a high state
 of advanced civilization4 ,it is a     
manifestation  of enlightened           
government4 ,it is fitting and highly   
proper4 ,it is a  cause for praise to   
this city and the lesser municipalities1
 not for  recrimination and abuse4      
,that the lake in ,hetch-,hetchy will   
not add to the attractiveness of the    
beautiful valley is undetermined4       
,opinions are divided4 ,the lake and its
  accessories will be the means of      
bringing thousands to a spot hitherto   
secluded1 isolated and1 to many1        

inaccessible4 ,the highest beneficial   
use  of nature to civilization is       
conservation4 ,were nature allowed to   
rest1  grand and gloomy1 the tall       
forests and virgin prairie still would  
lie  between ,plymouth ,rock and the    
,golden ,gate4 ,the march of            
civilization may  still go on and adopt 
unto itself the high forces of nature in
 an age of  mighty progress and         
development1 and still usually leave    
8for him who1  in the love of nature1   
holds communion with her visible forms10
 the tall  cliff1 the high waterfall1   
the grassy flower-strewn valley1 and    
here and  there the virgin forest4      
,it is easy for the sensitive1 the      
fanciful1 and the one of moods and      
tenses to make themselves believe that  
an infringement upon what they  regard  
as proper is an outrage upon decency1   
and an indication that the  sordid and  
mercenary are prevailing1 and that      
unless all of the good  and true shall  
rally to the defense the last bulwarks  

of decency will be  stormed and the     
citadel of high purpose1 noble resolve  
and immaculate  life will be forever    
lost to a ruthless commercialized greed4
 ,the forces  of darkness and of        
distortion are not in overwhelming      
numbers marching  down the pike4        
,this bill is not an indication that the
 grisly hand of avarice and the  cold   
hand of ambition are seizing hold of the
 sacred and inviolate4  ,san ,francisco 
may obtain this water1 as good as any in
 the world1 and  sufficient for her     
thousands to come for the next #ajj     
years4 ,she may  thereby obtain such    
water power as during the same time will
 cause all  the wheels of industry on   
her great ,bay to whirl and to whirr4   
,yet the  ,yosemite ,national ,park in  
the entire and ,hetch-,hetchy in        
particular will  remain1 visited by more
 than ever before1 a thing of beauty and
 a joy  unto the ages yet to be4--,san  
,francisco ,chronicle1 ,jan4 #ah1 #aiad4