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The Glen Canyon Mistake

In: Restoring America's Rivers

Author

Listed:
  • Richard M. Robinson

    (State University of New York)

Abstract

The Glen Canyon Dam is and was a central feature of the 1960s construction of the “Colorado River Storage Project.” The purpose of this project was to smooth flows of the Colorado River between high-flow years and drought years. But it used overly optimistic estimates of Colorado River flows considering our recent 23-year drought and the area’s long-term precipitation history. This dam was actually constructed as a compromise between environmental advocates (primarily the Sierra Club) and the demands for development in the Southwest Desert, especially in California. Glen Canyon was sacrificed for assurances that another dam – the planned Echo Canyon Dam – would not be built on the Colorado River. This tradeoff compromise is generally considered a “mistake” by environmentalists. A potentially beautiful Glen Canyon National Park was sacrificed in order to convert this canyon into a water recreation area. In the future, however, the Glen Canyon Dam will likely provide little storage, and is being considered for various forms of substantial modification so as to accommodate low-flow levels.

Suggested Citation

  • Richard M. Robinson, 2025. "The Glen Canyon Mistake," Springer Books, in: Restoring America's Rivers, chapter 0, pages 91-123, Springer.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:sprchp:978-3-031-81758-8_4
    DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-81758-8_4
    as

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