Its taken years, but someone had to do it. Environmentalists push for removing Glen Canyon Dam It wasnt until 1928 Congress approved and appropriated funding for the most massive project on the Colorado River which promised to deliver more water and more electricity than any prior project: The Hoover Dam. Scientific studies predict that without the reservoir, sediment deposits in the main channel upstream of the dam could be flushed out in as little as five years (. Glen Canyon Restoration - Glen Canyon Institute Terry Tempest Williams, Craig Childs, along with dozens of other authors articulate how river ecology, wilderness preservation and conservation are essential in maintaining the sanity of human progress. The Klamath dams themselves have blocked fish passage for a century, severing some local tribes from a food source theyve relied on for millennia. Under our proposal, the economic benefits to the Glen Canyon region would actually increase to a level comparable to that of Grand Canyon National Park. It will also likely continue to drop due to climate change. When we began to find out it was too late.. But it didnt take long for politicians to realize that overcommitments to each lower basin state had been made. New evidence of decapitations point to this predators fatal flaw. He and a group of scientists recently visited the canyon. Monstrous Lake Powell filled in behind the 710-foot dam, drowning Glen Canyons otherworldly red-rock amphitheaters and slot canyons under its silty depths. By the mid-1960s the mighty Colorado River was no longer flowing regularly into the Colorado River Delta and the Gulf of California in Mexico. (Caution: This video contains nudity.). A vast amount of research, education and discussion would need to happen before a final decision could be made. Glen Canyon Institute has conducted an initial Citizens Environmental Assessment (CEA) to examine the opportunities, costs and environmental impacts of restoring Glen Canyon. Gary Wockner Writers on the Range September 3, 2021 Glen Canyon Dam blocks the flow of the Colorado River to create Lake Powell, which is at historically low water. A skilled fly fisherman learns to read holes and identify where fish might be waiting for insects. How much power does Glen Canyon Dam generate? How did the building spree to clog all our rivers in the name of progress all come about? 8,000) and the Navajo Generating Station. The transformation thats happening in Glen Canyon right now is absolutely remarkable, he said. Ultimately all dams fill with sediment or are destroyed by natural floods. But there are far more people who are outdoor enthusiasts who comprise the silent majority here in Utah. It was the Glen Canyon Dam's heyday as cheap and plentiful electrical energy poured out of its eight hydro turbines. Glen Canyon Dam | Upper Colorado Region | Bureau of Reclamation The environmental movement is gaining momentum from funding from outdoor recreation and outdoor clothing companies such as Patagonia, which was the major sponsor for a recent documentary film DamNation. They are reshaping the dominant philosophy of what our rivers provide for us in this era. But what were the roots of this previous dam-building era? So for the past sixty years, there have been highly expensive legal battles among states suing each other over water rights. Through the reading process he discovers the rivers language of current, water and motion. The Colorado River Compact of 1922 established the legal requirement for the upper basin to deliver 75 million acre feet (MAF) to the lower basin over a ten-year rolling average. It drained the water from the mountains and plains, rushed it through sun-baked thirsty lands and dumped it into the Pacific Ocean a treasure lost forever.. Here is a job so great in its possibilities that only a nation of free people have the vision to know that it can be done and that it must be done. The science and documentation are available to the public on this website. Risks to the Glen Canyon Dam - Wikipedia re-emergence of rapids in Cataract Canyon, Sailors rejoice after snowy winter raises Great Salt Lake for now, Utah Democrats see an opportunity with state Republican infighting, 1 year in, Salt Lake Citys urban park rangers continue to build relationships, The Salt Lake City School District got a new superintendent this week, As Lake Powell Recedes, River Runners Race To Document Long-Hidden Rapids. And last week, the biggest dam-removal project in history got a crucial endorsement. Federal officials consider overhauling Glen Canyon Dam - Los Angeles Times A dam drowned Glen Canyonbut drought is revealing its wonders again. Bald eagles do live in the area, but a huge reservoir is not necessary for their survival; many live and thrive along existing southwestern rivers. Upstream conservation and sediment management can assist in minimizing the concern over sediment buildup in Lake Mead. In fact, elimination of the annual spring floods and sediment flows has caused significant change to the canyon environment, including the loss of a number of native species. Glen Canyon Dam began its life with an explosion. And many existing dams are significant sources of renewable electricity, which makes them valuable in the fight against climate change. If water were stored in Lake Mead, a much thinner and deeper reservoir, a huge amount of water would be saved each year. And of course, Las Vegas would never exist if it werent for the Hoover Dam. We will eventually be forced to manage the sediment problem and the longer we wait, the more expensive it will be. If above average flows return to the Colorado River Basin, water levels at Lake Powell will begin rising again. The Sierra Club presented a collection of articulate writers and environmentalists, who worked with leaders of the Department of the Interior and the Bureau of Reclamation over a century of dam projects. Glen Canyon Dam is quickly becoming a relic of the past. For instance, the Lower Basin is already storing massive amounts of water in underground salt aquifers in Arizona. During the past decade of drought, many scientists studying tree ring evidence suggest that the West is actually experiencing a return to normal drier climate conditions. The agency accomplished what private enterprise was unable to organize or finance: the critical infrastructure of large irrigation ditches and small dam projects. Arizona won a huge battle when California attempted to sue them in the early 1960s. The Lake Powell reservoir is the second largest artificial lake in the country, extending upriver well into Utah. Glen Canyon Dam | Water Operations | UC Region - Bureau of Reclamation Currently, many of these native species are in steady decline due to the changed environment brought about by the dam, and policy makers are searching for solutions to prevent extinction. Its becoming increasingly clear that as we pour more concrete over good land, bury in pipelines, build over the top of more farms, we are slowly losing our umbilical cord with the rest of creation that keeps us sane; keeps us connected, and maintains our understanding that we are all one human family. The Las Vegas Valley gets about 90 percent of its water from Lake Mead. Dam removal - Wikipedia Many people have benefited from the development and changes at the expense of the resource and the tribes. The 20th Century was geared toward western expansion and the idea that nature needed to be tamed to coerce it into providing a better life for millions of Americans who could settle out West and be promised land and water. Glen Canyon Dam, however, the possibility of removal is grounded and feasible, while constantly gaining support. Kate joined KUER from Austin, Texas. Would draining the reservoir make the Navajo Generating Station close? Because of regulated flows, the Grand Canyon has not experienced a flood in over 50 years, which has also been a detractor from the overall health of the ecosystem. Additionally, economic benefits would be distributed more evenly among the communities surrounding Glen Canyon, including Escalante, Bluff, Blanding, Boulder, Kanab, Mexican Hat, Hanskville, Kayenta, and the Navajo Nation. Another option is to shift the majority of water stored at Lake Powell downstream to Lake Mead, which is the main water source for over 22 million people living in the Lower Basin. In the upper reaches of the main channel and in many of the revealed side canyons, sediment deposits are being steadily mobilized downstream with seasonal and flash floods, and vegetation and wildlife are returning at astonishing rates. As the Colorado River shrinks, federal officials consider overhauling It is the duty of water managers in the West to secure a sustainable system for the Colorado Basin of the future. This was a pivotal moment because there are the environmentalist wackos who are a small minority in the lunatic fringe. FAQ - Glen Canyon Institute Colorado River Flows Are Diminishing. They knew in the taming process and making the desert blossom, indeed they were losing a treasure. "The upper basin states on the Colorado River Wyoming, Colorado New Mexico, and Utah were . megawatts, Hoover, NV-1,840 avg. She has a master's degree in journalism from the University of Texas at Austins Moody School of Communication. What is the timeframe for restoring Glen Canyon and a healthy Colorado River? The tide started changing in the minds of outdoors people when Robert Redford adapted the short story by Norman Maclean: A River Runs Through It into a film starring Brad Pitt. The method was to build multi-purpose dams monumental edifices that not only captured precious drinking and irrigation water, but paid for themselves over time by generating cash through producing hydro-electric energy and recreation opportunities (fishing and boating). Lake Powell has it all: waterskiing, slot canyons, deep waters, cliff diving and fishing. Most of the power from the dam is purchased for commercial use at heavily subsidized rates. Arguments for dam removal consider whether their negative effects outweigh their benefits. The one that got away: A look at Glen Canyon 40 years after it was filled Additionally, the flooding of Glen Canyon also covered toxic uranium mill tailings near Hite, Utah. Please be respectful of copyright. But Steven Hawley, author of the book Recovering a Lost River, about efforts to remove four dams on the Lower Snake River in Washington, believes its time should come by mid-century. However restoration of the river would provide for a self sustaining environment in Glen and Grand Canyon that is far more valuable. He refused to advertise his book. But even more needs to be reclaimed: our sanity, our communities, our local awareness. To do that, they lobbied for the removal of the dam. Scientists Are Studying The Changes Occurring In Glen Canyon As - KUER A River Runs Through It was so masterfully presented that anyone who viewed the film who was an outdoor enthusiast felt a lasting impact. According to energy experts, losing Glen Canyon Dam as a source of electricity should not create a power shortage because of the excess generating capacity across the Southwest. RJ Sangosti/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images The release aims to restore sandbars, beaches and campsites used by visitors to the Grand Canyon, according to the NPS. PDF Should Glen Canyon Dam be Removed? - CORE Parks Look for Ways to Alleviate Glen Canyon Dam's Downstream Impacts 2018 GLEN CANYON INSTITUTE | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED |, (See evidence of the restoration of Glen Canyon), 3090 East 3300 South STE 400, Salt Lake City, UT 84109. A dam project drowned Glen Canyon. But drought is causing its wonders These forces have resulted in a water deficit of almost 1 million acre-feet a year in the Colorado River system. Could draining the reservoir harm endangered species, such as bald eagles, which exist in the area now? The Time Has Come to Demolish Glen Canyon Dam - In These Times At long last, the American buffalo has come home. No. What we know from decades of UFO investigations, The Dial of Destiny is realand was found in an ancient shipwreck, This Saturday, 99% of people on Earth will get sun at the same time, This new tool could revolutionize archaeology. Why cant we blow up a dam after 50 years if we decide we dont need it anymore?. Colossal gravitational waves found for the first time. The likely process of bypassing Glen Canyon Dam would involve lowering reservoir levels to what is known as the dead pool level (237 feet) and drilling bypass tunnels around the base of the dam, allowing the mobilization of any remaining water and sediment. This is the purpose of GCIs Glen Canyon Restoration Campaign. Its water will convert thousands of additional acres of sagebrush desert to flourishing farms and beautiful homes for servicemen, industrial workers, and native farmers who seek to build permanently in the West. But since then I thought it was about time a story was written about the environmental movement. Feds start 3-day flood of the Grand Canyon to help the Colorado River In reality we may be reentering a low water period that has not been seen for the last 500 years. Not to mention caves, canyons and native relics. Any remaining sediment would flow to the Colorado River Delta, creating more habitats for wildlife there. Power production is negligible under the current flow regime and the economics of continuing to produce power do not make sense. Does restoring Glen Canyon mean completely removing Glen Canyon Dam? Sarah Gilman is a freelance writer covering science and the environment and a contributing editor at High Country News. This can all happen, according to the most powerful environmental groups through Conservation and the elimination of dams. Today, as the pressure on the Colorado River system grows, policy makers and water managers are open to new ideas that they never would have considered before. However, over the majority of the past decade, basin-wide water demand has drastically exceeded the amount of water delivered by the Colorado River. Dams periodically have to be relicensed, at which point they must be brought up to current environmental standards to keep operating. Where would we store water without Lake Powell? Based upon the economic benefits accrued for the region surrounding the Grand Canyon, similar economic benefits would be derived for the communities surrounding a restored Glen Canyon. If youd like to help restore the Colorado River and help find a sustainable solution to water supply in the West, please join us. Today the Jordan River is being restored through the efforts of the Jordan River Commission under Soren Simonson. Balken and Arens visited it on their recent trip. Since this project was refused for a number of years, Glen Canyon Institute secured private funding in order to hire various unbiased scientists to conduct such a review. No! Built in 1963, Glen Canyon Dam is 563 feet high and has steadily been filling with the equivalent of 30,000 dump truck loads of sediment every single day100 million tons of sediment annually. Krista Langlois Sept. 4, 2017 From the. To me, its an environmental injustice, says Klamath Tribes Chairman Don Gentry. The upper basin Congressional Delegation also pushed for the construction of Glen Canyon Dam as a cash register dam, with hydropower revenue being used to help fund dozens of smaller water development projects around the upper basin.