One dam solution
We may not need Hayduke to blow up Glen Canyon Dam after all – it appears irrigators in California are coming around to the idea of draining Lake Powell to help alleviate the strain and stress on the over-allocated and diminishing Colorado River.
In a Sept. 5 report in the Los Angeles Times, some of the most influential farmers in the California Imperial Valley are urging the federal government to decommission Lake Powell and have that water stored downstream in Lake Mead.
“Past proposals by environmental groups to decommission Glen Canyon Dam or to operate the reservoir without power production as a primary goal can no longer be ignored and must be seriously considered,” the farmers wrote to the Bureau of Reclamation.
For decades, some environmentalists have called for the draining of Lake Powell as a way to restore river health in the Colorado as it flows through the Grand Canyon. And of course, in 1975, Edward Abbey published “The Monkey Wrench Gang,” in which ecologically minded misfits target their arch nemesis, Glen Canyon Dam.
Climate change-fueled aridification of the West gripping the region is only compounded by the fact that available water in the Colorado is extremely over-allocated. The situation is made even more dire as stakeholders eye a 2026 deadline for new water management rules.
So, the fact California’s top farmers are jumping on board the dewatering Powell train is kind of a big deal.
For farmers, having more water stored downstream in Lake Mead would function as a sort of insurance policy in low-water years. Farmers also argue the original 1922 Colorado River Compact prioritizes agriculture use over hydroelectricity. Also of note, about 500,000 - 600,000 acre-feet of water evaporates from both Lake Powell and Lake Mead a year. Why not just cut one of those reservoirs out of the equation?
“I think (farmers) see the writing on the wall,” Kyle Roerink, director of the Great Basin Water Network, one of the environmental groups calling for the draining of Powell, told the Los Angeles Times. “Farmers understand the future probably better than many right now. And they know issues of scarcity are only going to become more incendiary.”
But don’t start planning your Glen Canyon rafting trips just yet. Where this all goes is anyone’s guess as stakeholders continue to find a long-term solution.
-
- 07/10/2025
- Smoke and mirrors?
- By Ben Markus / Colorado Public Radio
-
CU study finds a lot of Colorado’s weed is weaker than what’s on the label
- Read More
-
- 07/10/2025
- Coping strategies
- By Tracy Ross / The Colorado Sun
-
Wolves are killing cattle in Colorado. Feeling cut off from wildlife officials, ranchers seek their own solution. Is paying them the answer?
- Read More
-
- 07/10/2025
- We can do better
- By Allen Best/Big Pivots
-
Reflections on immigration after a visit to the ‘prison on the plains’
- Read More
-
- 07/07/2025
- Win for the Weminuche
- By Missy Votel
-
Wilderness Land Trust orchestrates transfer of 30-acre inholding to Forest Service
- Read More
- Let the good times roll
- 07/10/2025
-
After its inaugural year in 2024, the Durango Vintage Bike Swap and Show is back for another round. This year’s event, which takes place Fri.-Sat., July 11-12, promises even more good times for lovers of bikes – vintage or otherwise.
- Busting out all over
- 07/03/2025
-
Speaking of, uh, sacks, don’t look now, but the Speedo is back. For men. We told you not to look. According to an article by Max Berlinger in the New York Times, skimpy swimsuits for men – which they refer to as “briefs” rather than the brand name Speedo or the more crude “banana hammock” or “mankini” – are making a splash this summer.
- Clyde's goodbye
- 06/26/2025
- Pulling tubes
- 06/26/2025
-
Tubing season is here, but have no shuttle fear. The City of Durango has announced DuranGO! Outside, an on-demand “microtransit” service providing transportation to and from popular recreational areas for just $2 a ride. Offered through Durango Transit, the service launched June 4 and will run daily through September from 10 a.m.-6 p.m.