Guarding the Water Supply

[Subdeacon Joe]

From FB a few years ago:

 

With public access to the Crystal Springs Dam (allegedly) to re-open in just a few weeks on January 11th. We think it is apropos to dredge up the history of the last time Skyline 35 over the dam was closed for such an extended period of time... World War II. 

The text of that history, hidden near the bottom of this article. Which centers around the Watershed’s history of angling access. We have copied and pasted below. 
https://openthewatershed.org/the-raker-act-of-crystal-springs-part-6-the-rise-of-the-fishermen/

“On December 7th 1941, in Oahu Hawaii, the Pearl Harbor Naval Base was attacked, triggering the United States to enter the Second World War. Junipero Serra Boulevard and the Sawyer Camp Road, the main north-south arteries west of the new Bayshore freeway were immediately closed to traffic, and along with the Watershed area were patrolled by U.S. Army personnel.  San Mateo County went dark at night as the very real fear of an Axis invasion loomed near. The road over the Crystal Springs Dam was closed to the public. Army guards were stationed on the dam and patrolled the Watershed road network. The Times reporting December 11th, 1941 in an article entitled “Skyline Closed,”¹⁶

“On orders of the army, the section of Skyline Boulevard which crosses the Crystal Springs Dam has been closed to traffic. The section extends from the dam to the intersection of Belmont Road.

Traffic to the coastside is being routed via the Polhemus road which passes the Relief home.

San Mateo county residents were urged, not to be alarmed if they detect a slight odor or taste in the drinking water. This will result from an increase in the chlorine content ordered by the health Department as a precaution against possible attacks or sabotage”…

…”Burlingame police ordered apartment house operators to disconnect all clock devices for porch and hall lights”…

By January of 1942, the California State Guard had taken over the security of the Watershed area from the Army. A barracks was constructed on the Watershed property¹⁷ to house fifty guards who until that point had been sleeping in the gymnasium at the Burlingame High School.
The United States, San Francisco and San Mateo County, and the Watershed itself were on high alert. A year later, the state guard troop was disbanded and replaced by civilian guards, the Times reported in April of 1943,¹⁸

“Disbanding of the present state guard will force the replacement by civilian guards at various points of the San Francisco water department system in San Mateo County, starting tomorrow it was revealed today by George Davis, manager for the water department at Millbrae.”…

…”Davis said there was little or no hope that the road access across the Crystal Springs Dan might be reopened before the end of the war as the dam is considered of vital importance. Dissatisfaction with the long detour at the other rapidly deteriorating Crystal Springs Road has been expressed in coastside quarter”…

…”The civilian guard being placed on duty in the San Francisco water systems properties are to be sworn in as San Mateo county sheriff’s deputies, Davis said. Their duties will be essentially the same as those of the civilian guards previously on duty before state guardsmen were assigned, he said”

Any fishermen who may have acquired permits to fish off the Crystal Springs Dam bore the risk of being arrested by the Water Department in 1941. In 1942 they now faced the reality that the use of their permits risked them being mistaken as a saboteur and getting shot by an armed guard.

The quality of life issues of 1941, even the issue of the annexation of San Mateo County, seemed very small in comparison to the very real danger of the axis powers looming in the Pacific. The United States, San Francisco and San Mateo County, and the Watershed itself was at war.