101 years ago yesterday the O'Shaughnessy Dam was commissioned impounding the Tuolumne River, which formed the that now provides water to 2 million people in the Bay Area. A 160 mile aqueduct brings the water to the Bay - nearly 32 million cubic meters of water PER DAY. That's equivalent to 200 million filled bath tubs per day.
The Hetch Hetchy Valley, then compared to Yosemite Valley for its scenic beauty, was chosen for its water quality and hydroelectric power potential. The location in a National Park required an Act of Congress to circumvent federal protections and was allowed because "public land should be developed for the public benefit". This provoked a seven-year environmental struggle with the environmental group Sierra Club, led by John Muir. Muir once stated:
"Dam Hetch Hetchy! As well dam for water-tanks the people's cathedrals and churches, for no holier temple has ever been consecrated by the heart of man."
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