When the Disney company wanted to take a second crack at developing a resort in the Sierra Nevada, they set their sights on Independence Lake. In the end, after a lot of work, Disney decided to drop the project. Why? O They found the water of the lake was contaminated with mercury from the days of hydraulic mining. They found a better site for development at Mineral King in the southern Sierra. Disney just decided to get out of the resort business altogether and go big on investing in Pixar. Disney got frustrated as the people of Sutter County insisted that they conform to the law and fully explore the environmental impact of developing around the lake.

When the Disney company wanted to take a second crack at developing a resort in the Sierra Nevada, they set their sights on Independence Lake. In the end, after a lot of work, Disney decided to drop the project. Why? O They found the water of the lake was contaminated with mercury from the days of hydraulic mining. They found a better site for development at Mineral King in the southern Sierra. Disney just decided to get out of the resort business altogether and go big on investing in Pixar. Disney got frustrated as the people of Sutter County insisted that they conform to the law and fully explore the environmental impact of developing around the lake.