Albert Bierstadt, painting of Hetch Hetchy Valley
The Homestead Act of 1862 Ø Congress gave 160 acres of public land (1/4 square mile) in the West to families who could live on the land for five years and improve it Ø The hope was to create a haven for small, independent farmers Ø Shows one of many instances showing the use of the federal government to promote economic development in the West Contests the myth of rugged individualism, free markets, and laissez-faire
Problems with the Homestead Act Displacement of Native American and Spanish-speaking peoples Big Businesses and land speculators got access to the best land Ø During droughts or recessions, small farmers go bankrupt Ø large companies banks, oil companies, RxR, or growers take possession of the land The dry climate of the West: Ø Many regions receive less than 10 rain per year Ø Lawmakers who crafted the legislation had never witnessed the arid climate firsthand Ø How to make use of 160 acres with little rain?
Geography is important!! Forest fires, drought, and lack of summer rain are common in Mediterranean climates There is water stored in the Sierra Nevada Mountains as snowpack, but what would it require to access it?
Power and Inequality Irrigation projects, dams, canals, and aqueducts are HUGE undertakings!! Ø Only government agencies have the power, and resources to take on the risks in these projects Ex: Bureau of Reclamation Ø Government agencies control water and give GREAT deals to Big Businesses Ex: subsidized water, below cost, at taxpayer expense Those who control water control the lifeblood of the state Ø Social inequality and class conflict prevail
The National Reclamation Act Passed by Congress in 1902 Money from the sale of public lands in the West would fund irrigation projects What assumptions were behind this law? Ø progress is connected with development Ø Americans duty to turn desert into farmland Ø To reclaim lands from the wild nature Ø But also to reclaim your soul Create a new Garden of Eden in California
William Mulholland s Dream Born in Ireland Superintendent of Los Angeles Department of Water and Power Works with ex-mayor Fred Eaton to buy up land in Owens River Valley to construct Los Angeles Aqueduct Ø Entailed devious and deceptive schemes
Building the aqueduct was a tremendous engineering feat for its time
The Los Angeles Aqueduct Ø 30-40,000 spectators celebrated the completion of the Los Angeles Aqueduct in 1913 Ø It is still in use today!
In 1913, Congress passed the Raker Act, authorizing the building of the O Shaughnessey Dam on the Tuolumne River, creating the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir The Hetch Hetchy Aqueduct transports water approximately 200 miles to consumers in the Bay Area
Aerial view of the O Shaughnessey Dam Muir and other critics asserted that the reservoir would submerge one of California s most beautiful natural treasures
Contrasting visions of environmental protection PRESERVATION CONSERVATION Nature has spiritual and aesthetic qualities Led by John Muir and the Sierra Club Protection of the wilderness is the top priority and should be weighted above all other concerns Embodied in the National Park System More sentimental Nature should be managed in a rational, efficient and scientific way Led by Gifford Pinchot Utilitarian find a common use that is inclusive for a variety of interests commercial, recreational, environmental, etc Embodied in the National Forest System More practical
Long-term concerns Fish populations Ø The field of ecology tells us that healthy animal populations (including humans) depend on biodiversity having a variety of species Silt builds up at dams they may not last longer than a few hundred years Predictions of climate scientists: Sierra snowpack will be reduced by a lot! Ø So how will California get its water?