Rebuttal

1
Rebuttal

• Remove Glen Canyon Dam
• Restore Glen Canyon

2
Why remove the dam?

• Dynamic system ?
• series of stagnant pools
• and constipated tail waters?
• Disrupted natural systems
• Intentions not met
• -water supply issues
• -hydropower
• Any economic gain outweighed by ecological losses
• Benefits and potential for restoration

3
Not if but when

• All dams are temporary
• Sediment fill in 100-800 years

4
Decreasing Water Quality

• Sediments
• Increasing salinity due to evaporation
• Fuels (1 Exxon Valdez each year)
• Heavy/radioactive
• Metals
• translates to
• Bioaccumulation
• Eventual toxic mud flat

5
The Water supply

• 1922 compact --requirement of 82.3 MAF of water
  to the Lower Basin
• Based on BLM flow data(1906-2002)
• with reservoir, 11000 chance the Upper Basin
  would be unable to deliver
• Without Lake Powell, the odds decrease to
  130,000.

6
A Water Reserve?

• 570,000 AF annual evaporation from reservoir
• 102,000 AF from section of the river
• Difference would supply SLC for a year
• Seepage loss 10,000,000 AF since construction

7
Hydropower

• 4,500 to 5,500 gigawatt hours generated annually
• Only supplies 3 of power for the UT, AZ, NM,
  CO

8
Real Costs

• construction, maintenance, restoration, etc.
• Fossil fuel dependence
• What is the price of natural ecosystems,
  historical sites?

9
Canyon Restoration Potential

• Reservoir dropped 100 ft in recent drought
• Side canyons re-exposed showed enormous capacity
  for recovery
• Summer rains and spring run-off cleansed in 12 to
  24 months

93
83
10
Alternatives

• Using Technology
• updated irrigation methods
• more efficient flood control
• alternative sources of power (wind, solar, etc.)
  and increased efficiency
• Ignoring technology
• Hiking, climbing, etc instead of rec for the
  rich

11
Main References

• Glen Canyon Institute http//www.glencanyon.org/li
  brary/libhome.php
• Citizens Environmental Assessment
  http//www.glencanyon.org/library/ceareport.pdf
• http//www2.kenyon.edu/Projects/Dams/glen.html