Why did John Muir oppose the Hetch Hetchy Dam project in Yosemite National Park?

John Muir opposed the Hetch Hetchy Dam project because he believed that national parks and forests should be preserved in their entirety, free from industrial or municipal development. As a leading preservationist, Muir argued that the natural landscape of the Hetch Hetchy Valley—located within Yosemite National Park—should not be sacrificed to serve the water and power needs of San Francisco.12

Muir, along with the Sierra Club, viewed the proposed reservoir as a desecration of a protected natural treasure. He championed the idea that wilderness areas should be maintained in the absence of human industrial influence, contrasting his preservationist philosophy with the utilitarian approach of those who prioritized the economic and municipal benefits of the dam, such as its potential for hydroelectric power. Despite his efforts to make the preservation of the valley a national issue, the project was approved by the U.S. Congress in 1913, resulting in the construction of what is now known as the O'Shaughnessy Dam.12