The Outstanding Career of Michael O'Shaughnessy in San Francisco

Michael O'Shaughnessy, a prominent hydraulic engineer, made significant contributions to water projects in Hawaii and California. As the San Francisco city engineer, he developed crucial infrastructure like the streetcar system and the Hetch Hetchy dam, aqueduct, and hydropower supply, benefiting millions of people. His career spanned from working for private water companies to overseeing major dam constructions, showcasing his expertise and impact in civil engineering.

• Michael OShaughnessy
• San Francisco
• Hydraulic engineer
• Water projects
• Civil engineering

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1. The Outstanding CE Career of Michael O Shaughnessy (1864- 1934) in San Francisco William P. Bulloch, P.E., D.WRE, M.ASCE,1 Jerry R. Rogers, Ph.D., P.E., D.WRE, Distinguished M. ASCE,2 and Aida Fairman, QSP/QSD, P.E., M.ASCE3 1Utility Revenue Management, 99 Detering St., Ste, 130, Houston, TX 77007 bbulloch@hotmail.com 2Retired Professor Emeritus, 12127 Old Oaks Drive, Houston, TX 77024 rogers.jerry@att.net 3City of Los Altos, Engineering Services Manager, Public Works Engineering Division, Los Altos, CA 94022 aidafairman@yahoo.com

2. The Outstanding CE Career of Michael O Shaughnessy (1864-1934) in San Francisco ABSTRACT FOR EWRI 2020 Michael O Shaughnessy became a prominent U.S. hydraulic engineer with water projects in Hawaii and California and as San Francisco city engineer (1912), he developed the street car system and the Hetch Hetchy (O Shaughnessy) dam, aqueduct, and hydropower, supplying 85 percent of municipal water for 2.5 million people. From 1896-1898, Michael began working for the private Spring Valley Water Company (San Mateo), later purchased to become the San Francisco Water Department. In 1890, Michael opened an engineering office in San Francisco. From 1907- 1912, he worked on the Morena Dam outside San Diego (the largest U.S. rock-fill dam at that time).

3. Introduction Michael Maurice O'Shaughnessy was born May 28, 1864 in County Limerick, Ireland Graduated with honors in engineering in 1884 from the Royal University at Dublin Emigrated to the U.S. in 1885 Was Assistant Engineer for the Sierra Valley and Mohawk Railroad (1885-1886); Assistant Engineer: Southern Pacific RR (1886-1888) Surveyor for the Southern Pacific Railroad, laying out the towns of Mill Valley and Sausalito, CA

4. In 1890, Michael opened an engineering office in San Francisco Chief engineer for the 1893 California Mid- winter International Exposition in Golden Gate Park In 1895, as Chief Engineer, built 12 miles of the narrow- gauge railroad for the Mountain Copper Company Began working for the private Spring Valley Water Company (San Mateo), later purchased to become the San Francisco Water Department. Elected ASCE Member: June 4, 1902.

5. Other Water Projects In 1889- 1906, O Shaughnessy oversaw construction of several major water supply aqueducts (Olokele, Koolau, Keanaiemaui, and Kohala) for 20 sugar plantations in Hawaii. From 1907-1912, worked as Chief Engineer of So. California Mountain Water Co. on the Morena Dam near San Diego (the largest U.S. rock-fill dam at that time) Image result for michael o shaughnessy Worked on the Merced River Dam for the Crocker- Huffman Land Company Designed a water supply system for the city of Port Costa, CA.

6. San Francisco City Engineer In September of 1912, Mayor James Rolph appointed O Shaughnessy as city engineer for San Francisco His reports educated city officials and the public on important city public works projects Oversaw construction of the Twin Peaks Reservoir, the Stockton Street Tunnel, the Twin Peaks Tunnel, the Municipal Railway System, multiple city streets, a high-pressure fire system, new sanitary sewers, Panama-Pacific International Exposition (1915) in San Francisco, ...... Completed five lines of the San Francisco streetcar system between 1915 and 1927 City voters defeated his 1927 bond issue to expand the system

7. The Golden Gate Bridge and Joseph Strauss O Shaughnessy sought bridge builders to consider a Golden Gate Bridge Met with Joseph Strauss around 1919 Comb s Bill, forming a tax district for building the Golden Gate Bridge, signed into law on May 25, 1923 Joseph Strauss named Chief Engineer for the Golden Gate Bridge and separated from O Shaughnessy Michael opposed Strauss s bridge cost estimates as being too low.....Strauss known for not crediting Charles Ellis, corrected later by District and ASCE

8. Hetch Hetchy Res., Aqued., Hydropower: S. Francisco In 1890, San Francisco Mayor James D. Phelan and CE J.P. Dart (Sonora) proposed a water supply dam on the Tuolumne River, supported by 1899 USGS report. 1901 Carl E. Grunsky, S. F. City Engineer (ASCE President 1924) studied 14 water sources. Hetch Hetchy Valley would provide abundant sediment-free water and hydroelectric potential at a relatively low cost O Shaughnessy supported the Hetch Hetchy site, power sources, and clean water source for San Francisco Opposed by Sierra Club & John Muir as it was within Yosemite National Park and endangered scenic beauty

9. 1908 San Francisco Water Rights and 1913 Law Hetch Hetchy supported strongly by U.S. Forest Service: Chief Forester Gifford Pinchot In 1908, Secretary of the Interior James R. Garfield granted San Francisco rights to Hetch Hetchy water December 19, 1913, President Woodrow Wilson signed the Raker Act: water and power were to be used for public utilities (1914 and 1923 photos) File:Hetch-Hetchy-dam-site.jpg

10. John R. Freeman, ASCE Pres. 22, Planned Hetch Hetchy Dam, Pipeline July 15, 1912, John R. Freeman report on Hetch Hetchy Dam, aqueduct, becoming ASCE President in 1922 and ASCE Honorary Member Freeman did water supply for Boston and N.Y.C. O Shaughnessy oversaw construction and design of Hetch Hetchy water Dam construction cost $6,121,000, financed by San Francisco revenue bonds Image result for michael o shaughnessy Image result for michael o shaughnessy

11. Frederick Rolandi Oversaw Construction of the Hetch Hetchy R.R. Hetch Hetchy Railroad was 68-mile (109 km) standard gauge line that followed Tuolumne River canyon to the dam site From San Francisco along the Southern Pacific and Sierra lines, connecting to Hetch Hetchy line, railway built from 1915- 1918 by 900 workers City completed 70-foot (21 m) high dam (multiple- arch concrete dam) at Lake Eleanor to provide water for the Early Intake Powerhouse, to provide electricity for larger dam

12. 1919- Dam Construction Began Dam begun August 1, 1919, Utah Construction Company (San Francisco) (later member of Six Companies, builders of Hoover Dam) began preparing the dam site by clearing the valley of trees 20-foot (6.1 m) diameter tunnel, later expanded to 23- by-25-foot (7.0 m 7.6 m), was excavated around the south side of the dam site Timber crib cofferdam diverted some of the Tuolumne River into tunnel during construction Riverbed on the dam site was excavated over 118ft Concrete for the dam was processed in a plant located upstream

13. Concrete for Dam Processed in Sept. 1921 to May 1923 Concrete was hoisted up a 380-foot tower on the south side of the gorge, to flow down movable, gravity fed chutes to the dam site 398,516 cu yd (304,687 m3) of concrete was poured to form a dam 226 feet (69 m) above the riverbed and 344 feet (105 m) above the foundation Five hundred men completed the dam by May 1923, the second tallest dam in the United States, after Arrowrock Dam (Idaho)

14. Reservoir Began to Fill in May 1923 On May 24, 1923, the reservoir filled for the first time The dam was named O Shaughnessy Dam on July 7, 1923 File:Oshaughnessy dam s.jpg

15. First Hydropower Produced-1925, but San Francisco Out of Bond Money to Connect, Violated Raker Act for Public Power 1925- Completion of Moccasin Powerhouse, fed by Hetch Hetchy water through the Canyon, Mountain Tunnels San Francisco ran out of bond money: city s line ended near Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) Newark substation 1934- PG&E accepted Hetch Hetchy power under 1925 contract, in direct violation of 1913 Raker Act 1927 to 1941: San Francisco voters rejected eight bond issues needing 2/3 vote for municipal power

16. December 23, 1923, William Randoph Hearst, San Francisco Examiner, Printed Open Letter to Our City Engineer Criticizing O Shaughnessy for Failing to Enforce the 1913 Raker Act See Fredrich, A.J.: 1989: The Rise and Fall of Michael O Shaughnessy, Sons of Martha, ASCE 1941- Interior Secretary Ickes considered revoking the city s 1913 Raker Act grant to take over O Shaughnessy Dam, but the Pearl Harbor attack stalled action:1932- city charter cut out city engineer San Francisco power controversies occurred in 1973, 1984, 1988, 1994, 1996, and 1997

17. 1934- First Water Deliveries Reached San Francisco 1935- 1938, dam was raised by an additional 85 feet (26 m), for a total of 360,360 acre- feet storage New spillway, outlet channels constructed to accommodate the increased height, storage capacity Dam water flows into Hetch Hetchy Aqueduct, supplying 85 percent of the municipal water for 2.5 million people Hetch Hetchy Reservoir stretches for 8 miles

18. OShaughnessy Dam Data Concrete, curved gravity dam built in two stages: first stage completed in 1923 to height of 344 feet. Second stage completed in 1938 to 430 feet, raised over 85 feet to increase the reservoir storage by 75%. Crest spans 910 feet (277 m) with a 17-foot (5.2 m) wide top roadway Dam thickness- 308 feet (94 m) at the base Water is released through 13 outlet gates (five 36-inch diameter, six 60-inch diameter, and two 72-inch diameter pipes) on the dam face and an unlined side- channel spillway controlled by three 10 feet high by 65 ft (20 m) wide steel drum gates

19. Proposed Dam Removal Dam removal advocates- restore the site to its natural scenic beauty Dam removal opponents note demolition cost of $3 10 billion as poor investment, especially with loss of renewable hydroelectric power, with very clean water with only primary filtration and disinfection 2012- San Francisco voters struck down Proposition F by a vote of 77 percent against

20. Recent Hetch Hetchy News January 2, 2017- ABC News story of: San Francisco's main water supply shut down for 60 day inspection S.F. Public Utilities Commission - cutting off the Hetch Hetchy flow to inspect the water tunnel lining by early March Five regional reservoirs supplied water to San Francisco

21. The Outstanding Career of Michael O Shaughnessy October 12, 1934- At 70, O Shaughnessy passed away, before the October 28 Hetch Hetchy completion ceremonies O Shaughnessy became a prominent U.S. hydraulic engineer with water projects in Hawaii and California and as San Francisco city engineer (street car system) for the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, aqueduct, hydropower, supplying 85 percent of municipal water for 2.5 million people Michael won the 1913 James Laurie Prize for 1912 ASCE paper on Morena Dam- San Diego Co. In 1920, he was President of ASCE S.F. Section. He also served on first Transbay Bridge Board. For review, co-authors thank Richard L. (Dick) Wiltshire, P.E., F. ASCE, Past President, ASCE Colorado Section. Image result for michael o shaughnessy

22. Selected References ASCE Transactions: Memoirs (1935). Michael O Shaughnessy, by John D. Galloway (Hon. M.ASCE ASCE), Nelson J. Eckart (M.ASCE), pp. 1710-1713. Taylor, Ray W. (1926). Hetch Hetchy: the story of San Francisco's struggle to provide a water supply for her future needs. R.J. Orozco Guide to the Michael Maurice O'Shaughnessy Papers, The Bancroft Library, University of California- Berkeley: http://www.oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/hb5d5nb6sr/ The M. M. (Michael Maurice) O'Shaughnessy papers, 1882-1937 Boden, Charles R. (December 1934). "In memoriam: Michael Maurice O'Shaughnessy". California Historical Society Quarterly. California Historical Society. 13 (4): 415 416 Freeman, John R. (July 15, 1912). The Hetch Hetchy Water Supply for San Francisco, 1912 . Fredrich, Augustine J. (1986). The Rise and Fall of Michael O Shaughnessy, Sons of Martha, ASCE O Shaughnessy, M. (1912). Construction of the Moreno Rock Fill Dam, San Diego County, California, ASCE Transactions.