San Francisco Hetch-Hetchy Valley connection

This project will focus on the acquisition of Hetch Hetchy Valley, located in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, as a municipal water source for the population of San Francisco, California. As San Francisco grew, it faced not only the problem of supplying water to its citizens but supplying water at an affordable rate. The acquisition of Hetch Hetchy posed significant challenges to more than just the City of San Francisco. Environmental groups such as the Sierra Club, fought to preserve a wonder of nature from development. The United States Congress struggled with allowing land located within a National Park to be developed by a municipality. The city government of San Francisco faced the challenge of convincing these two groups, in addition to its own constituents, that turning Hetch Hetchy Valley into a reservoir would be the right thing for all involved. This historiography will look at all interests, present their arguments, and attempt to clear the waters of understanding as to how Hetch Hetchy came into being as San Francisco's water supply. The lesson plan component resulting from this historiography will be rich in geography and California history. Students participating in the lessons will follow the development of San Francisco as a city and those events leading up to its need to look further abroad than its immediate boundaries for a water supply. Students will also investigate the geographic requirements necessary to sustain an urban development. The lessons will not only focus on geographic locations of San Francisco and Hetch Hetchy Valley, but that of other major California urban centers and the geographic factors that allowed and continue to allow them to be successful. Finally, the students will look at the social issues put forth in the historiography such as: When does development take precedence over preserving the natural environment? Or does it? How can development coexist with the natural environment?