Glen Canyon Dam

Issues at Hand

Introduction

Water is one of the most important issues in the Western United States. Harnessing the Colorado River has been instrumental in the economic development of the region. Historically, the "law of the river" has changed to accommodate the ever-evolving values of individuals and the groups they form. Glen Canyon Dam was erected in 1963 according to the "law of the river." Since 1963 values and sentiments have changed. The rise of environmentalism is a significant reason for this change. Dams seriously alter their surrounding environment both upstream and downstream. Glen Canyon Dam is unique in that Grand Canyon National Park is directly downstream from the Dam. A balance must be struck between existing uses and existing costs in light of existing values. Furthermore, it is important to continue gathering scientific knowledge in order to one day properly understand all the costs of dams so that we can properly weigh them against the benefits.

Literature Review

Goldsmith, Edward and Hildyard, Nicholas, "The Social and Environmental Effects of Large Dams" Sierra Club Books San Francisco 1984

This book effectively outlines the costs and benefits dams create. It provides a good introduction to the issues involved with the creation of dams. The scope of the book is very wide. It discusses issues of dams that are proliferating throughout the world. It raises interesting questions concerning the development of resources, and subsequently the economies of, third world countries.

"Colorado River Ecology and Dam Management" National Academy Press Washington DC 1991

This book describes the political processes that led to the creation of Glen Canyon Dam. It examines the ever evolving "law of the river" that applies to the Colorado. The main points the introductory chapter communicates to the reader are as follows: 1) The creation of the Glen Canyon Dam was meant to serve multiple uses 2) American values have changed since the creation of the dam, therefore the dam's purpose should evolve to meet these changing values and 3) The demand for hydroelectricity should not supercede the demands of American's changing values because the dam was created for multiple, not single, uses.

Glen Canyon Adaptive Management Program
http://www.uc.usbr.gov/amp/

This program is the result of mounting questions concerning the downstream environmental effects of the Glen Canyon Dam. In 1982 The Bureau of Reclamation initiated an interdisciplinary Environmental Impact Study (EIS) at the direction of the Secretary of the Interior. The final EIS was completed in March 1995. The report indicated the uncertainties still associated with many of the downstream impacts of the dam. The report identified these issues of public concern in a way to promote additional research and discussion. The resources and issues include: water, sediment, fish, vegetation, wildlife and habitat, endangered and other special status species, cultural resources, air quality, recreation, hydropower, and non-use value. The EIS proposed a system of adaptive management where the effects of the dam on downstream resources could be monitored and assessed.

Harpman, David A., "Assessing the short-run economic cost of environmental constraints on hydropower operations at Glen Canyon Dam." Land Economics Aug. 1999.

This paper focuses on the economic costs of modifying hydropower operations at the Glen Canyon Dam. Adaptive Management assumes that flows through the dam must be varied to analyze their effects on downstream resources. Hydroelectric power plants rely on set flows of water through the dam. Therefore, adaptive management will come at the expense of hydropower operations. The method of management Harpman uses in his analysis is the Modified Low Fluctuating Flow. MLFF would set new restrictions on minimum flows, maximum flows, ramp rates, and allowable daily fluctuations. The goal of MLFF is to protect downstream resources while allowing limited flexibility for hydropower operations. He estimates that the economic value of hydropower operations at Glen Canyon Dam will fall 8.8% annually when MLFF constraints are imposed.

Babbit, Bruce "DAMS A River Runs Against It: America's Evolving View of Dams"
Statement for the Sierra Club January 22, 2001
http://motherlode.sierraclub.org/chapter/news/templates/template-txt.html

The former Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbit delivered this speech for the Sierra club in 2001. He calls for a reassessment of dams in the United States. He asks three important questions 1) Is this dam still serving its purpose? 2) Do the benefits justify the destruction of fish runs and drying up of rivers? 3) Can't we find a better balance between our needs and the needs of the river?

 

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