HETCH HETCHY RESERVOIR SITE
HEARING BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC LANDS
UNITED STATES SENATE SIXTY-THIRD CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION ON H. R. 7207
AN ACT GRANTING TO THE CITY AND COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO
CERTAIN RIGHTS OF WAY IN, OVER, AND THROUGH CERTAIN
PUBLIC LANDS, THE YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, AND
STANISLAUS NATIONAL FOREST, AND CERTAIN LANDS
IN THE YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, THE STANISLAUS
NATIONAL FOREST, AND THE PUBLIC
LANDS IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA,
AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
WASHINGTON
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
1913
STATEMENT OF HON. JOHN E. RAKER, A REPRESENTATIVE IN
CONGRESS FROM CALIFORNIA.
Mr. Raker, Mr. Chairman and gentlemen of the committee, my time will be brief, but I will
apply myself principally to the objections to using the Hetch Hetchy for any and all purposes.
The matters in connection with San Francisco's use of the water, with which I am somewhat
familiar, will be ably presented by Mr. Freeman, who is here representing San Francisco and
others.
This matter is familiar to me. I have been over practically all of this territory except right
down on the floor of this valley. That entire country is in my district, and my people realizing
the question of conservation and the question of utilizing not only the lands but the water,
feel that under the conditions of this bill it ought to pass, because they believe it is one of
the greatest pieces of constructive legislation the State of California has ever had. It utilizes
the park in a proper way; it gives to the city and county of San Francisco the pure water it
ought to have; it absolutely guarantees to these districts the permanent supply of water that
they themselves by their committee and their representatives state they ought to have. The
city and county of San Francisco stipulates that at all times they are to have their prior rights
to the amount of water which they claim. Not only before the Public Lands Committee but
for the last 10 years this has been claimed, and it is in the report of Secretary Garfield that is
the amount they claim for their district. That has been before the Secretaries of the Interior
and before the committees, and to avoid any question of litigation which this bill does not
necessarily determine as to the actual rights, the city of San Francisco says. "Your claim is
2,350 feet or whatever it is."
Their rights are recognized and they are satisfied in that permit, and it is the testimony of all
their representatives that is the amount of their prior right and prior claim.
Within the last month-not before the committee at this time- but in addition to that
gentlemen who have represented these people have admitted that. They do not-Judge
Fulkerth does not admit- and it is not said for a minute that they have ever used this entire
amount of water, that they have ever had it running in their lines of ditches to its full
capacity. It depends upon the floods: it depends upon the sun and the rain. You have to hold
it back so that it fills your ditches, and that is the condition these people are trying to put in
and whether there is little water or not there must always be sufficient water coming down
to maintain for them this supply of 2,350 feet.
This bill further provides and says that the city and county of San Francisco must file their
written consent with the Secretary of the Interior by their duly authorized authorities within
a certain number of days after this bill is enacted into law or they do not get the grant. It
makes no difference whether it is enacted into law or not.
I want to call the committee's attention to the question of conservation. I am surprised that
these gentlemen who call themselves conservationists are not in favor of this bill. I suppose
that Mr. Pinchot is the greatest conservationist in the United States. He came before our
committee and he says that this bill to his mind is the acme of conservation in all its phases
and all its conditions; as to preserving the park, as to the use of the water, and as to power
purposes.
In addition to that this water has been running to waste for years, and will continue to run
to waste, unless the dam is in there. It will run off into the San Joaquin River and the
Sacramento River and then into the sea. Why, we have seen the floods of this river at
Sacramento slopping upon the depot steps at flood time. Then they say they do not flood the
San Joaquin Valley. Part of that same water when it is flooded backs clear up the
Sacramento River. That is the condition in California at flood times now. Every Californian
knows that for six weeks the water runs off the mountains in torrential floods and unless we
store it it goes to waste. Now let me take up another thing. Part of this territory is owned by
the city and county of San Francisco, part by the Government. The gentlemen admit they can
not get it. They could not condemn that land because the use for city purposes is higher than
the use for agricultural purposes. The city and county of San Francisco now owns two-fifths
of the floor of this valley. Are you going to leave it there now and let no one use it?
Another point which has not been called to the attention of the committee, and which I think
is important, is that all these questions have been presented to the Government authorities.
This matter has been under consideration by the Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of
Agriculture, Director Newell, Director Smith, and other Government officials. These
questions were presented to them. I asked them the question whether or not the use of this
five hundred and twenty-odd square miles that is on this watershed would be lessened to
the public by the construction of this reservoir. Everyone says it will not. They say it opens it
up to thousands where to-day there are only hundreds who use that park. The sanitary
conditions are those approved by the Forest Service and are those which are in effect in the
forest reserves to-day. Therefore, there will not be any denial of the use of this park or its
watersheds that is involved here.
I call the committee's attention-I will not be long in doing it- to this fact: The city of San
Francisco owns something like 3,500 acres of land in the Yosemite National Park and in the
forest reserve. The land covered in the three reservoirs will be 3,100 acres. I speak of Hetch
Hetchy, Lake Eleanor, and Cherry Creek. They are to deed back all the land they own to the
Government except that covered by this dam, and I say to you gentlemen, and the evidence
shows that there will be more camping grounds, more places to be used in the National Park
after this dam is there than there is to-day; after the lake is put in there than there is to-day,
because that will be opened. It will be deeded back to the Government so that it can be
used.
In addition to that, the city and county of San Francisco is to build public roads connecting
with the present public roads, and those will lead to the dam. They will go beyond the dam
to Eleanor and Cherry Creek and to the summit of the great mountain range up there. It is
proposed to connect those roads with the public Tioga road, which goes from the San
Joaquin Valley over to the State of Nevada. That road can be used and that country will be
opened, and, as the record shows here, instead of there being from 25 to 150 people at the
Hetch Hetchy Valley, all that can go into the Hetch Hetchy Valley now, there will be
thousands who will go into that valley. And, in fact, there will be no limit as to the number
who can view the great, wonderful scenery there.
The only use for which that country is suitable is for camping purposes. You can not raise
hay in there. You have to haul your hay in there. You have to do the same with all your
supplies, as in the Yosemite Valley. They have to haul grain, hay, and food into the Yosemite
Valley now, and it will be the same with the Hetch Hetchy Valley.
It is true the floor of this valley will be covered by the lake; but they can go over 750,000
acres in the national park and 520 square miles, which is the extent of this watershed.
I am as good a conservationist as anybody. I believe the park ought to be preserved; I
believe we ought to get the fullest use of the national park that can be had; but instead of
having it used as it is to-day, only by 150 people, there will be 10,000 people going into the
watershed when this dam is completed, because the roads will be there. Provision will be
made for them and they will not be retarded by any rules or any regulations which will affect
their rights.
There is about 1,500 acres in the floor of this valley-of the Hetch Hetchy. There has been
some misunderstanding about that. The city and county of San Francisco owns about 700
acres of that valley. The balance is Government land. That is all the land that is to be covered
in this valley. There will be a road built around it, so that it can be used and seen by
everybody. The falls will never be touched; not 1 foot of the height of those falls will be
affected. The water that goes to waste will be held there in a beautiful lake, so that you can
drive up to the dam, across the dam, and around the lake, and then go over the rest of that
park. San Francisco is obligated to build those roads at its own expense and it is also
obligated to provide for the first five years $15,000 to keep up this park; for the next 10
years $20,000 to keep up this park.
Senator Norris. Per year?
Representative Raker. Yes; per year. For the next 10 years they are obligated to contribute
$30,000 to keep up this park and such additional amounts as the Congress from time to time
may add.
Is that destroying the beauty of that park?
The testimony of men high in authority who have had lots of experience is unanimous to the
effect that valley will be more beautiful than it is to-day. Is that a destruction of the park? Is
that a destruction of the trees? No; there are no redwood trees on the floor of this valley
which will be destroyed. There are only a few small pine trees, and most of those are owned
by the city and county of San Francisco to-day. They could fence off that acreage there if
they wished to. There is no destruction of anything which is wonderful. The rocks will be just
as high around that dam as they are to-day. There will be just as much scenery when that
dam is completed as there is to-day. The dam is to be only 300 feet high. There is to be that
beautiful road around the lake.
For myself, I wish to say that I would be last one in the world who would try to despoil one
foot of that country which could never be replaced; but I believe I owe it to the district
which I represent, to believe I owe it to the city and county of San Francisco as a citizen of
the State of California, I believe I owe it to the United States as a Representative in
Congress, to see that proper legislation is put upon the statue books giving to the city and
county of San Francisco the right to build this dam, properly guarded, properly put in shape.
I believe we should use every drop of water in the State of California; I further believe that a
use for agricultural purposes is not as high as for the purposes of citizens of towns and
cities.
I believe it is right to use the water for a water supply for the city and county of San
Francisco. I believe this bill, Mr. Chairman and gentlemen, covers all these advantages,
protects and safeguards every interest of the Government, every interest of the
irrigationists, and every interest of the city and county of San Francisco. I believe that I
never have in all my lifetime appeared to speak in behalf of a bill before a committee of
Congress which means as much for California, which means as much for San Francisco,
which means as much for the eastern mountain district-because we want people to come in
there-as this bill. Those mountains might lay there for ages unseen by anyone and amount to
nothing.
In addition to that, I will be able to assist in preventing the destruction of the fertile plains
down around Stockton and in that part of the country, flooded in the springtime because of
high water coming from this river and others. Therefore, I feel justified and more than
justified in urging strongly the claims of San Francisco for this bill in all its features.
Representatives of the irrigation districts appeared before the committee. These provisions
were put into the bill so that there could be no possible injury to their claim, recognizing
their prior rights, and last but most important, it says to them all, "Your rights, whatever
they may be, will not be interfered with by this bill or any provision of it, because it is left
entirely to the laws of the State of California to settle and adjust every right and to
determine every need."
I do not care to go into the legal phase of the water conditions there, because I do not think
it is in point here.
Senator Thomas. You understand that the erection of this dam will only flood a section of the
floor of the valley. That is a question I would like to clear up in my mind.
Mr. Raker. It will cover practically all of the floor of the Hetch Hetchy Valley; that is about
1,500 acres. As I have said before, six hundred and some odd acres are already owned by
the city and county of San Francisco.
Senator Thomas. It would be taking up about a section of Government land.
Mr. Raker. Yes; it would be taking up about a section of Government land.
I want to call the attention of the Senators to this one further point. We have talked about
the use of that water. The dam is to be built in conformity with the condition of the
mountains. As I have said, there is to be a road around the lake; so you can not only see the
lake, but you can see the rest of the scenery there, and then the roads lead off in all
directions to this park, and they will cost in the neighborhood of $600,000, and that country
will accommodate a million people.
Mr. Dunnigan. The remarks of the gentlemen who will speak for San Francisco will be very
brief.
I want to ask Mr. Kent, who has spent $200,000 of his own money in beautifying nature in
California, and who deeded a beautiful park to the State, to just say one word.