Everything Everywhere Daily · Tuesday, July 14, 2026
The proposal to dam the Hetch Hetchy Valley in Yosemite for San Francisco's water supply, especially after the 1906 earthquake, created a dilemma for President Theodore Roosevelt. Advisors like Gifford Pinchot and James Rudolph Garfield argued for the dam's necessity for San Francisco's development, while Muir advocated strongly against it, highlighting the conflict between preserving natural spaces and utilizing resources.
“The administration had repeatedly denied the city of San Francisco's application to dam the Tuolumne River in Hetch Hetchy Valley, about 15 miles north of Yosemite Valley and nearly equal in beauty.”
“President Roosevelt faced a dilemma. His personal advisor, Gifford Pinchot, and his interior department advisor, James Rudolph Garfield, son of President James Garfield, had convinced him that the Hetch Hetchy project was essential.”
“Garfield and Pinchot believed in the importance of preserving these spaces, but also advocated for prudent use of natural resources. In their mind, the development of San Francisco, particularly in the wake of the earthquake, was worth changing the Hetch Hetchy Valley.”
“Everyone is for the project, and I have been in the disagreeable position of seeming to interfere with the development of the state for the sake of keeping a valley, unquote.”