Raker Act
Encyclopedia
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
. It is named for John E. Raker
, its chief sponsor. The Act, passed by Congress
in 1913 by the Wilson Administration
, 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. The San Francisco Bay Guardian
claims that San Francisco sold the power to PG&E, who then resold it back to the public at a profit, in violation of the act.
Harold Ickes
of the Roosevelt Interior Department tried for many years to enforce the Paul 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 allegations of Paul Raker Act violations.
Donald Hodel, Secretary of the Interior
under the Reagan Administration
, made an attempt to remove the dam in the 1980s. In 2003 the George W. Bush Administration
made an attempt to allocate funds for a study into the removal of the dam and the restoration of the Hetch Hetchy valley.
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
that permitted building of the O'Shaughnessy Dam
O'Shaughnessy Dam
The O'Shaughnessy Dam is a curved gravity dam on the Tuolumne River in the Hetch Hetchy Valley of California's Sierra Nevada. The dam is located in Yosemite National Park, and creates the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir. It is named for former San Francisco chief engineer and the original chief engineer of...
and flooding of Hetch Hetchy Valley
Hetch Hetchy Valley
Hetch Hetchy Valley is a glacial valley in Yosemite National Park in California. It is currently completely flooded by O'Shaughnessy Dam, forming the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir. The Tuolumne River fills the reservoir. Upstream from the valley lies the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne. The reservoir...
in Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park is a United States National Park spanning eastern portions of Tuolumne, Mariposa and Madera counties in east central California, United States. The park covers an area of and reaches across the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountain chain...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. It is named for John E. Raker
John E. Raker
John Edward Raker, was a Democratic Party Congressional representative for California. He was usually known as John E. Raker....
, its chief sponsor. The Act, passed by Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
in 1913 by the Wilson Administration
Woodrow Wilson
Thomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States, from 1913 to 1921. A leader of the Progressive Movement, he served as President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910, and then as the Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 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
John Muir
John Muir was a Scottish-born American naturalist, author, and early advocate of preservation of wilderness in the United States. His letters, essays, and books telling of his adventures in nature, especially in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, have been read by millions...
. Construction of the dam was finished in 1923. The San Francisco Bay Guardian
San Francisco Bay Guardian
The San Francisco Bay Guardian is a free alternative newspaper published weekly in San Francisco, California. The paper is owned mostly by its publisher, Bruce B...
claims that San Francisco sold the power to PG&E, who then resold it back to the public at a profit, in violation of the act.
Harold Ickes
Harold L. Ickes
Harold LeClair Ickes was a United States administrator and politician. He served as United States Secretary of the Interior for 13 years, from 1933 to 1946, the longest tenure of anyone to hold the office, and the second longest serving Cabinet member in U.S. history next to James Wilson. Ickes...
of the Roosevelt Interior Department tried for many years to enforce the Paul 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 allegations of Paul Raker Act violations.
Donald Hodel, Secretary of the Interior
United States Secretary of the Interior
The United States Secretary of the Interior is the head of the United States Department of the Interior.The US Department of the Interior should not be confused with the concept of Ministries of the Interior as used in other countries...
under the Reagan Administration
Reagan Administration
The United States presidency of Ronald Reagan, also known as the Reagan administration, was a Republican administration headed by Ronald Reagan from January 20, 1981, to January 20, 1989....
, made an attempt to remove the dam in the 1980s. In 2003 the George W. Bush Administration
George W. Bush administration
The presidency of George W. Bush began on January 20, 2001, when he was inaugurated as the 43rd President of the United States of America. The oldest son of former president George H. W. Bush, George W...
made an attempt to allocate funds for a study into the removal of the dam and the restoration of the Hetch Hetchy valley.