Martin Samuel Vilas

“ The testimony of Colonel Biddle was that all the water of California was needed for domestic use and irrigation; that as the State is settled more and more, and as better and better facilities are devised for irrigation, more and more the streams are becoming used for these purposes; and that the only available sources of water for San Francisco would reach either the Sacramento or San Joaquin rivers, both flowing into San Francisco Bay, one from the north and one from the south, and together forming a valley about 500 miles long. ”

“ This water power will be of tremendous commercial advantage to these cities. To desire to obtain this water power, is not sordid commercialism or base greed on the part of this section. It is an endeavor to make use of the beneficial forces of nature. It is evidence of a high state of advanced civilization. It is a manifestation of enlightened government. It is fitting and highly proper. It is a cause for praise to this city and the lesser municipalities, not for recrimination and abuse.
That the lake in Hetch-Hetchy will not add to the attractiveness of the beautiful valley is undetermined. ”

“ 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 meadow, but during the next twenty miles drops 3000 feet, in which distance some of the falls in the river are beautiful and picturesque. Next it flows for about two miles through Hetch-Hetchy Valley, then becomes a rushing mountain torrent for twenty miles more, and finally empties into the San Joaquin River in Stanislaus County, almost directly east of the southern end of San Francisco Bay. ”

“ 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 cities. ”

“ I think the pressure will be so great to conserve the water up there that it will be used as a storage reservoir. It is by far the best storage reservoir in that section of the country, and water is so valuable there that they cannot afford to let it run to waste. If you deny the use of it to San Francisco, sooner or later the water will be put to other uses. Somebody will be asking for permission to utilize the Hetch-Hetchy Valley as a storage reservoir for irrigation purposes. ”

“ All of its people look to San Francisco to take the lead. A population of about 1,000,000 is included here, of which Alameda furnishes about 25,000, Oakland about 200,000, Berkeley about 50,000 and Richmond about 15,000. Under the law passed four years ago, known as the “metropolitan district act,” two or more municipalities are allowed to join together in a water supply association. Oakland, Berkeley, Alameda and some other towns on the Bay have joined to condemn the local water supply to include Lake Chabot. But in these towns the situation is even worse than in San Francisco. ”

“ The proposition of San Francisco is to build a dam across Hetch-Hetchy Valley 100 feet at the bottom, 760 feet at the top and 300 feet high. This will cover 1930 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 point. It is also proposed to build a dam 150 feet high and 1500 feet long at Lake Eleanor. This will flood 1443 acres. The Hetch-Hetchy dam and reservoir will supply in dry seasons 250 gallons a day per capita for 1,000,000 people. ”

“ The Spring Valley Water Company furnishes about 41,500,000 gallons, of which about 17,000,000 gallons come from San Mateo County.
City Engineer M. M. O’Shaughnessy of San Francisco testified before the House Committee on the Public Lands in Washington, June, 1913 that this city now needs 75,000,000 gallons of water per day and that about one-third of the city is without water and obliged to haul it in barrels and wagons. Development of the city has been considerably retarded through lack of water. ”

“ At Cherry Valley almost everything is owned by San Francisco. Owners of property around Cherry Valley and Lake Eleanor received $1,000,000 for property which cost them approximately $100,000. The area in the irrigation districts below the dam sites is mostly included in the Turlock-Modesto district. In the vicinity of Hetch-Hetchy Valley the city owns 1040 acres and around Lake Eleanor, all in the National Park, 920.33 acres more, making a total inside the park of 1960.33 acres. ”

“ Section 9 provides:
“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 California, or as said districts may be hereafter enlarged to contain in the aggregate not to exceed 300,000 acres of land to receive 2350 second feet of the natural daily flow of the Tuolumne River, measured at the La Grange dam, whenever the same can be beneficially used by said irrigation districts; and that the grantee shall never interfere with said rights.” ”

“ I believe the highest possible utilization of the Tuolumne, or of any river, is that which provides, as far as possible for a combination of these three values and the harmonizing of the different uses.”
V. From the foregoing and from all the evidence and conditions developed under this design, some conclusions are manifest.
The Bay section is the largest urban section in California and is doing more business than any other. Its growth is rapid. San Francisco is coming into control of all her municipal utilities. The four great cities on the Bay are one in interest. ”

“ There is not the slightest question in my mind but that this should be used as the source of water supply, and not only that, but that it will be used as a water supply in a very short time independently of whether this project is adopted or not. ”

“ A reservoir was built at an elevation of 600 feet, filled through a pumping station drawing salt water from the bay. Another pumping station is now under construction at Fort Mason.
The city expects to buy the Spring Valley Water Company by condemnation in case purchase cannot be effected otherwise. Since the passage of the Raker Bill condemnation proceedings have been begun.
The territory on both sides of the Bay, extending south
to San Jose for about fifty miles, has a common interest in obtaining water. ”

“ Seattle, Portland, Oregon, and Pueblo, Col., go into national parks for their water supplies. Los Angeles goes into a government forest reserve and brings its water from Inyo County, 220 miles, by aqueduct and more than twenty miles by tunnels. ”

“ Of the $174,000 spent on lands in Hetch-Hetchy, $81,306.18 were spent for 720 acres. For the exchange lands $92,457.02 were expended. 640 acres outside the valley proper were bought for camp sites under the order of the Secretary of the Interior. At Lake Eleanor private persons owned nearly all the dam sites. Now San Francisco owns about one-half and the United States Government about one-half. Here the development will be very expensive. ”

“ 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 concerned. This report recommended the Tuolumne River in the following words:
“This source presents the following unrivalled advantages: Absolute purity by reason of the unhabitable character of the entire watershed tributary to the reservoirs and largely within a forest reservation. Abundance far beyond possible future demands for all purposes. Largest and most numerous sites for storage; freedom from complication of water rights ”