01830_nwsltr.qxp 6/21/10 10:44 AM Page 1 HiddenHidden PassagePassage the journal of glen canyon institute Issue XVII, Spring/Summer 2010 01830_nwsltr.qxp 6/21/10 10:44 AM Page 2 Fill Lake Mead First: Environmental Glen Canyon Institute Restoration and a Reliable President Water Supply by Michael Kellett Richard Ingebretsen “Since Powell is going to lose more and more hard-to-get water as time goes by, it Board of Trustees will save all hands a lot of waste and pollution — and frightful ecological and eco- Barbara Brower nomic chaos — to let the river run through Glen Canyon Dam as soon as possible… Scott Christensen So let the river run again on its old schedule. Simply agree to measure the flow as it Ed Dobson passes Lee's Ferry and store it as Upper Basin water, with an invisible label on it, at Wade Graham Lake Mead.” Rick Ridder — David Brower, c. 1963 Lea Rudee In 1922, the Colorado River Compact was signed by the seven states in the Staff Colorado Basin and the federal government. The Compact allocated water rights Eric Balken, Programs Assistant between the states of the upper (New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming, and Colorado) and Tyler Coles, Administrative Assistant lower (Arizona, California, and Nevada) Colorado River Basin. This paved the way Amy Collins, Development and for Hoover and Glen Canyon dams, which impound Lake Mead and Lake Powell, Programs Director as well as the entire Colorado River water management system. Michael Kellett, Executive Director Simon Williams, Webmaster Today, the Colorado River Basin is facing a water supply crisis. We now know that the Colorado River Compact was based on flawed projections that seriously over- Advisory Committee estimated actual future river flow and seriously underestimated future water Dan Beard demand. As a result, rapidly growing water use, relentless drought, and climate Philmer Bluehouse change are creating a water deficit of almost 1 million acre-feet a year in the Ryan Brown Colorado River system. Both Lake Powell and Lake Mead reservoirs are around half Niklas Christensen empty, and scientists predict that they will probably never fill again. The water sup- Agustin Garza ply of more than 22 million people in the three Lower Basin states is in jeopardy. Katie Lee Daniel McCool The region is also facing an environmental crisis. The ecological health of the Francis McDermott Southwest is tied to the fate of the Colorado River. A century ago, the Colorado Bruce Mouro was one of the world’s wildest rivers. Its extraordinary variations in water flow, Tom Myers Page Stegner temperature, and sedimentation created a unique ecosystem that was once home Flake Wells to 16 endemic fish species — the largest percentage of any river system in North Bill Wolverton America. The construction of more than a dozen dams during the last century has criti- 429 East 100 South cally damaged the integrity of the Colorado River. Hundreds of miles of canyon Salt Lake City, Utah 84111 and countless archaeological sites have been flooded, and dozens of wildlife species tel (801) 363-4450 have been endangered. Glen Canyon Dam is one of the largest contributors to fax (801) 363-4451 these problems, with major impacts that stretch from above Glen Canyon, through [email protected] the Grand Canyon, all the way to the Colorado Delta in Mexico. In 1992, Congress www.glencanyon.org passed the Grand Canyon Protection Act, which sought to modify Glen Canyon Dam operations to “protect, mitigate adverse impacts to, and improve the values for which Grand Canyon National Park and Glen Canyon National Recreation Executive Editor Area were established.” Unfortunately, efforts to implement the act have been only Wade Graham partially successful. GCI believes the time has come to change Colorado River management to Managing Editor address today’s new realities. This is the goal of our Fill Lake Mead First Project. Amy Collins Since Glen Canyon Dam was completed in 1963, the goal of water managers has been to keep both Lake Powell and Lake Mead full. Now, with two half-empty Cover Photo by James Kay reservoirs, this policy no longer makes sense. Through our Fill Lake Mead Project, GCI is advocating a new approach that consolidates most of the water from both reservoirs in Lake Mead, with Lake Powell used as a backup in flood years. page 2 01830_nwsltr.qxp 6/21/10 10:44 AM Page 3 The Fill Lake Mead First strategy would benefit the people The time for action is now, before the more serious effects and ecosystems of the Colorado River Basin and beyond. This of climate change appear. The steps we need to take will be approach would help to maintain a reliable water supply for difficult. However, a 2008 report by scientists at the Scripps millions of people who depend on Lake Mead, in major cities Institution of Oceanography starkly points out that the con- such as Las Vegas, Phoenix, Los Angeles, and San Diego, as sequences of delay would probably be much worse: well as on farms across the region. It would also help to restore Colorado River ecosystems. Water would be permit- “There is danger that litigation, associated with ted to flow more naturally through Glen Canyon Dam, help- water right claims and environmental issues, will ing to heal the damage done by the dam to the Grand compound and put off any rational decisions on this Canyon. A lowered Lake Powell would expose many more matter until serious damage has been done to the portions of Glen Canyon that have been flooded under the diverse users of the Colorado River. Much of this liti- reservoir, allowing them to recover their natural beauty and gation might be avoided if time dependent water solu- integrity. This would all be done without infringing on the tions are crafted to reflect today’s and tomorrow’s water rights and needs of the Upper Basin states. water realities…. The alternative to reasoned solu- tions to the coming water crisis is a major societal and GCI has been researching, analyzing, and discussing these economic disruption in the desert southwest.” issues with policy makers, scientists, conservationists, and others across the Colorado Basin. We have been educating the The Fill Lake Mead First Project is an expansion on an idea public through our Glen Canyon Road Show, conferences, that has been proposed before — including by David Brower, the news media, and newsletters. Our goal is to convince key who helped to found Glen Canyon Institute. In the past, this decision makers to further study the Fill Lake Mead First idea strategy was considered “politically unrealistic.” Now, in the and consider implementing it in the next few years. face of unprecedented water supply and environmental chal- lenges, the vari- ous people and institutions involved in Colorado River water policy are increasingly open to new ideas that they never would have considered before. GCI is optimistic that this will lead to unprecedented, positive change in the next few years, for the benefit of the people and ecosystems of the Colorado River Basin. page 3 01830_nwsltr.qxp 6/21/10 10:44 AM Page 4 Glen Canyon Institute, a part of “The Nature of Things” by Tyler Coles G len Canyon Institute was recently a cosponsor of the Utah Museum of Natural History's 2010 lecture series "The Nature of Things." These public lectures explored the interconnected relationships between humans and nature, with a particular emphasis on environmental protection and preser- vation. Speakers at this series included Gary Hirshberg, CEO of Stonyfield Farms, Brian McPherson, associate professor of engineering at the University of Utah and an expert on climate change, and environmental attorney and activist, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., who gave the keynote lecture, “Our Environmental Destiny.” Annette McGivney presenting Resurrection film “The Nature of Things” was con- Photo: Scott Braden cluded with a lecture by James Kay and Annette showed a moving documentary about the Canyon’s Annette McGivney, co-authors of the 2009 book, restoration, which was based on their book. Resurrection: Glen Canyon and a New Vision for the American West. This inspiring book — also cosponsored by Glen Having personally attended, I felt fortunate to learn about the Canyon Institute — was the product of a five-year project increase in wildlife, the reducing levels of sediment, and the that documented, through photos and writings, the natural natural growth and restoration occurring within Glen Canyon. restoration of Glen Canyon accompanying the declining Lake Powell reservoir. Of particular interest to me was their ability to dispel con- cerns expressed by some in the audience about the natural Attendees at this event were privileged to listen to both restoration of Glen Canyon. For example, some people were authors recount their personal experience and firsthand wit- concerned that the Glen would not be able to restore itself as ness of the restoring Glen. Following their lectures, Jim and Lake Powell reservoir declines. Some fear that sediment deposits in the irregular side canyons will remain, and not diminish as hoped. Others worry that invading tamarisk and other foreign plants will overrun the Canyon’s ecosystem. Still others believe that the white bathtub ring that marks the sand- stone may not go away. The most common concern is that the degrading marks of Lake Powell reservoir will forever be appar- ent within the Glen. Through their lectures and presentations, Annette and Jim provided the reassurance that nature can recover, despite past damage. The inside front cover of their book begins by saying, “Forcing nature to our will does not always produce the results we envisioned.” The experiences these journalists had while on their project provided strong evidence of the truth of this state- Annette McGivney and James Kay sign Resurrection ment.