The story of Hetch Hetchy

Ever since the movie "Chinatown," Los Angeles has gotten bad press for "stealing" the Owens River to urbanize the San Fernando Valley. But why did San Francisco's leaders choose an expensive alternative, the Tuolumne River, to augment our local water supply, and then dam Hetch Hetchy Valley despite a nationwide outcry? Gray Brechin, historical geographer and author, explains the process by which arid land can be made to yield its most lucrative crop — a megalopolis.