Colorado River Ecology and Dam Management Proceedings of a Symposium May 24-25, 1990 Santa Fe, New Mexico (1991) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:
A Brief History of the Glen Canyon Environmental Studies
A Brief History of the Glen Canyon Environmental Studies
Pages 226-238
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Many different perspectives have been presented on what changes have occurred to the Grand Canyon resources due to Glen Canyon Dam. Over the last 27 years, the changes to the ecosystem of the Grand Canyon have been extensive.
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NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL INVOLVEMENT WITH THE GLEN CANYON ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES The GCES program was initiated by the Department of the Interior in December 1982 as a component of the environmental assessment developed for the uprating and rewinding of the eight electrical generators at Glen Canyon Dam. The studies were to be initiated immediately.
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, Martha Hahn (National Park Service) , and I presented an overview of the GCES scientific program to the newly formed WSTB.
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From page 229... ...
determine the impacts of the operation of Glen Canyon Dam on the natural and recreation resources of the Grand Canyon, and (2) determine whether there were ways, within existing Colorado River Storage Project mandates and the law of the river, to modify the operations of the dam so as to minimize the impacts downstream.
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From page 230... ...
The result was the "GCES Final Report," backed up by more than 30 published technical reports and many more background documents. The NRC/WSTB completed their review of the individual technical reports and the "GCES Final Reports" and published their findings and recommendations in December 1987 in River and Dam Management: A Review of the Bureau of Reclamation's Glen Canyon Environmental Studies.
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From page 231... ...
In July 1989, after considerable discussion and public pressure, the Secretary of the Interior directed that an EIS on the operations of Glen Canyon Dam be initiated. With that directive, the GCES program focus changed again, to now become the data base for assessment of the alternative operational and nonoperational options for the overall EIS process.
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DEVELOPMENT PROBLEMS FOR THE GLEN CANYON ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES PROGRAM Despite our best intentions, we find ourselves today still faced with some of the same, very difficult problems in completing the GCES Phase II program and ultimately developing a credible EIS document. These include: 1.
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INTEGRATING THE GLEN CANYON ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES PROGRAM WITH THE GLEN CANYON DAM ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT The Glen Canyon Dam EIS is a process dictated by the rules and regulations of the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) , with guidance defined by the Council on Environmental Quality.
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From page 234... ...
The GCES program will develop the technical data base that can be used to evaluate the impacts associated with GCD-EIS alternatives that relate to operational changes at Glen Canyon Dam. Response relationships and risk assessments will form the underlying precepts for this evaluation.
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Ecosystem evaluation could be built into the existing annual and/or five year review program defined for the secretarial hydrologic review of the Colorado River operations. Phase III Third and perhaps most intellectually challenging would be the development of an ecosystem restoration program, a program that would focus on working in concert with the natural pro
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THE CHALLENGES THAT LAY AHEAD The challenges for more enlightened management of the resources of the Colorado River are many. Completion of the GCES program and the Glen Canyon Dam EIS is going to take a great deal of hard work but is only one step in many that are required if we are to consider ourselves wise stewards of the resources.
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I hope that when we get through with this effort, we will have gained for the resources. As the GCES Phase II program enters into the support of the EIS program, undoubtedly changes will occur changes based on the science and changes based on the politics and bureaucracy of the system in which we function.
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From page 238... ...
The Grand Canyon will be here long after we have departed this earth. However, we have a responsibility to minimize the impact of our stay on so precious a resource.
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