Hetch Hetchy Water

James stands in front of the reflecting pool before the Pulgas Water Temple.

We visit the Pulgas Water Temple just north of Mountain View, California.  

Hetch Hetchy water spills into the Chrystal Springs Reservoir below San Francisco.

It's a beautiful little place commemorating the completion of the Hetch Hetchy Aqueduct that carries water from high in the Sierra Mountains 160 miles to the San Francisco Valley.

This is a project that met with significant resistance, not least of which came from John Muir.  Since Paula and I walked the John Muir trail, we feel compelled to understand the issues involved.

Map of the Hetch Hetchy Aqueduct by Shannon1

Some people attribute this project to the frustration and exhaustion that led to John Muir's death as he fought against the damming of the Hetch Hetchy Valley that he said was as beautiful as the Yosemite Valley.  Here are more details from wikipedia.

Albert Bierstadt, Hetch Hetchy Valley From Road, c. 1870

On the other hand, the project supplies water to 2.5 million people...