Raker Act

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The Raker Act was an act of the United States Congress that permitted building of the O'Shaughnessy Dam and flooding of Hetch Hetchy valley in Yosemite National Park, California. The Act, passed by Congress in 1913 specified that because the source of the water and power was on public land, no private profit could be derived from the development. The plan for damming the valley was fought for years by John Muir. Construction of the dam was finished in 1923. In violation of the Act [link], San Francisco sold the power to PG&E, which then sold it back to the citizenry at a profit.

Harold Ickes of the Roosevelt Interior Department tried for many years to enforce the Raker Act, but he was unsuccessful. Control of Hetch Hetchy generated power remains in the hands of the PG&E corporation. The San Francisco Bay Guardian has led a multi-year effort to publicize Raker Act violations.

External links

• [San Francisco Virtual Museum]

 

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