A few years ago, while teaching The History of the American National Parks, I visited Hetch Hetchy, the canyon and reservoir that play such a prominent role in our Roderick Nash reading this week. Here is what I wrote then about my feelings as I approached the reservoir:
“Having studied Hetch Hetchy for several decades, but never visited it, I was eager to see first hand what the flooded valley looked like. I was “eager” but also apprehensive. When I drove my motorcycle some forty-five miles across the Yosemite National Park, I felt a certain reluctance. I knew that I should go, especially since I am now teaching a course on the History of the American National Parks. But as I descended a steep mountain road and saw the dam in the far distance, I felt apprehensive, as if I were approaching a morgue.”
Follow the link below to read the post and view the films I made at the site as well as an interview with the recently-retired lead scientist at Yosemite, Jan van Vonkendonk
I hope that they will enrich your sense of what Hetch Hetchy looks like today and provide more information on the controversy over the dam.
Click here to see the full talk:
https://www.americanrealities.com/a-visit-to-hetch-hetch.html