Joint Hearing on the Sierra Club's Pro- Posal to Drain Lake Powell Or Reduce
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JOINT HEARING ON THE SIERRA CLUB'S PRO- POSAL TO DRAIN LAKE POWELL OR REDUCE ITS WATER STORAGE CAPABILITY JOINT HEARING BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON NATIONAL PARKS AND PUBLIC LANDS AND SUBCOMMITTEE ON WATER AND POWER OF THE COMMITTEE ON RESOURCES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ONE HUNDRED FIFTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 1997, WASHINGTON, DC Serial No. 105±56 Printed for the use of the Committee on Resources ( U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 45±584 CC WASHINGTON : 1998 COMMITTEE ON RESOURCES DON YOUNG, Alaska, Chairman W.J. (BILLY) TAUZIN, Louisiana GEORGE MILLER, California JAMES V. HANSEN, Utah EDWARD J. MARKEY, Massachusetts JIM SAXTON, New Jersey NICK J. RAHALL II, West Virginia ELTON GALLEGLY, California BRUCE F. VENTO, Minnesota JOHN J. DUNCAN, JR., Tennessee DALE E. KILDEE, Michigan JOEL HEFLEY, Colorado PETER A. DEFAZIO, Oregon JOHN T. DOOLITTLE, California ENI F.H. FALEOMAVAEGA, American WAYNE T. GILCHREST, Maryland Samoa KEN CALVERT, California NEIL ABERCROMBIE, Hawaii RICHARD W. POMBO, California SOLOMON P. ORTIZ, Texas BARBARA CUBIN, Wyoming OWEN B. PICKETT, Virginia HELEN CHENOWETH, Idaho FRANK PALLONE, JR., New Jersey LINDA SMITH, Washington CALVIN M. DOOLEY, California GEORGE P. RADANOVICH, California CARLOS A. ROMERO-BARCELOÂ , Puerto WALTER B. JONES, JR., North Carolina Rico WILLIAM M. (MAC) THORNBERRY, Texas MAURICE D. HINCHEY, New York JOHN SHADEGG, Arizona ROBERT A. UNDERWOOD, Guam JOHN E. ENSIGN, Nevada SAM FARR, California ROBERT F. SMITH, Oregon PATRICK J. KENNEDY, Rhode Island CHRIS CANNON, Utah ADAM SMITH, Washington KEVIN BRADY, Texas WILLIAM D. DELAHUNT, Massachusetts JOHN PETERSON, Pennsylvania CHRIS JOHN, Louisiana RICK HILL, Montana DONNA CHRISTIAN-GREEN, Virgin Islands BOB SCHAFFER, Colorado RON KIND, Wisconsin JIM GIBBONS, Nevada LLOYD DOGGETT, Texas MICHAEL D. CRAPO, Idaho LLOYD A. JONES, Chief of Staff ELIZABETH MEGGINSON, Chief Counsel CHRISTINE KENNEDY, Chief Clerk/Administrator JOHN LAWRENCE, Democratic Staff Director SUBCOMMITTEE ON NATIONAL PARKS AND PUBLIC LANDS JAMES V. HANSEN, Utah, Chairman ELTON, GALLEGLY, California ENI F.H. FALEOMAVAEGA, American JOHN J. DUNCAN, JR., Tennessee Samoa JOEL HEFLEY, Colorado EDWARD J. MARKEY, Massachusetts WAYNE T. GILCHREST, Maryland NICK J. RAHALL II, West Virginia RICHARD W. POMBO, California BRUCE F. VENTO, Minnesota HELEN CHENOWETH, Idaho DALE E. KILDEE, Michigan LINDA SMITH, Washington FRANK PALLONE, JR., New Jersey GEORGE P. RADANOVICH, California CARLOS A. ROMERO-BARCELOÂ , Puerto WALTER B. JONES, JR., North Carolina Rico JOHN B. SHADEGG, Arizona MAURICE D. HINCHEY, New York JOHN E. ENSIGN, Nevada ROBERT A. UNDERWOOD, Guam ROBERT F. SMITH, Oregon PATRICK J. KENNEDY, Rhode Island RICK HILL, Montana WILLIAM D. DELAHUNT, Massachusetts JIM GIBBONS, Nevada DONNA CHRISTIAN-GREEN, Virgin Islands RON KIND, Wisconsin LLOYD DOGGETT, Texas ALLEN FREEMYER, Counsel P. DAN SMITH, Professional Staff LIZ BIRNBAUM, Democratic Counsel (II) III Page SUBCOMMITTEE ON WATER AND POWER RESOURCES JOHN T. DOOLITTLE, California, Chairman KEN CALVERT, California PETER A. DEFAZIO, Oregon RICHARD W. POMBO, California GEORGE MILLER, California HELEN CHENOWETH, Idaho OWEN B. PICKETT, Virginia LINDA SMITH, Washington CALVIN M. DOOLEY, California GEORGE P. RADANOVICH, California SAM FARR, California WILLIAM M. (MAC) THORNBERRY, Texas ADAM SMITH, Washington JOHN B. SHADEGG, Arizona RON KIND, Wisconsin JOHN E. ENSIGN, Nevada LLOYD DOGGETT, Texas ROBERT F. SMITH, Oregon ÐÐÐÐÐ ÐÐÐÐÐ CHRIS CANNON, Utah ÐÐÐÐÐ ÐÐÐÐÐ MICHAEL D. CRAPO, Idaho ROBERT FABER, Staff Director/Counsel VALERIE WEST, Professional Staff CHRISTOPHER STEARNS, Democratic Counsel C O N T E N T S Page Hearing held September 24, 1997 .......................................................................... 1 Statements of Members: Cannon, Hon. Chris, a Representative in Congress from the State of Utah ............................................................................................................... 6 Chenowith, Hon. Helen, a Representative in Congress from the State of Idaho .......................................................................................................... 14 Doolittle, Hon. John T., a Representative in Congress from the State of California ................................................................................................... 4 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 5 Gibbons, Hon. Jim, a Representative in Congress from the State of Ne- vada ................................................................................................................ 15 Hansen, Hon. James V., a Representative in Congress from the State of Utah ........................................................................................................... 1 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 3 Hefley, Hon. Joel, a Representative in Congress from the State of Colo- rado ................................................................................................................ 13 Pickett, Hon. Owen B., a Representative in Congress from the State of Virginia ...................................................................................................... 16 Shadegg, Hon. John, a Representative in Congress from the State of Arizona ........................................................................................................... 6 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 9 Stump, Hon. Bob, a Representative in Congress from the State of Ari- zona, prepared statement of ......................................................................... 33 Statements of witnesses: Bautista, Melvin F., Executive Director, Navajo Nation Division of Nat- ural Resources ............................................................................................... 62 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 111 Brower, David Ross, prepared statement of ................................................... 87 Additional material submitted for the record ......................................... 89 Campbell, Hon. Ben Nighthorse, a Senator in Congress from the State of Colorado ..................................................................................................... 10 Elliott, Robert, America Outdoors and Arizona Raft Adventures ................ 72 Hacskaylo, Michael S., Acting Administrator, Western Area Power Ad- ministration, Department of Energy ........................................................... 18 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 134 Hatch, Hon. Orrin G., a Senator in Congresss from the State of Utah, prepared statement of ................................................................................... 85 Hunter, Joseph, Executive Director, Colorado River Energy Distribution Association (CREDA) .................................................................................... 74 Lochhead, Jim, Executive Director, Colorado Department of Natural Re- sources ........................................................................................................... 60 Martinez, Eluid L., Commissioner, Bureau of Reclamation ......................... 17 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 130 Pearson, Rita, Director, Arizona Department of Water Resources .............. 38 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 93 Stewart, Ted, Executive Director, Utah Department of Natural Re- sources ........................................................................................................... 36 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 141 Tarp, Larry E., Chairman, Friends of Lake Powell ....................................... 64 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 118 Wegner, David, Ecosystem Management International ................................ 34 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 76 Werbach, Adam, President, Sierra Club ......................................................... 34 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 138 (V) VI Page Statements of witnessesÐContinued Whitlock, Mark, Executive Director, FAME Renaissance ............................. 41 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 103 Additional material supplied: Let the River Run Through It, Sierra Magazine, March/April 1997 ............ 89 JOINT HEARING ON THE SIERRA CLUB'S PRO- POSAL TO DRAIN LAKE POWELL OR RE- DUCE ITS WATER STORAGE CAPABILITY TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 1997 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SUBCOMMITTEE ON NA- TIONAL PARKS AND PUBLIC LANDS AND THE SUB- COMMITTEE ON WATER AND POWER, COMMITTEE ON RE- SOURCES, Washington, DC. The Subcommittees met, pursuant to notice, at 10 a.m. in room 1324, Longworth House Office Building, Hon. James V. Hansen [chairman of the Subcommittee on National Parks and Public Lands] and Hon. John Doolittle [chairman of the Subcommittee on Water and Power] presiding. Mr. HANSEN. This meeting will