Grand Canyon Flooding Move Sparks Backlash: ‘We Are Failing’

Controversy has erupted after federal officials at the Bureau of Reclamation announced they don’t plan to release floodwaters from Lake Powell this spring to restore the Grand Canyon because of work taking place on Glen Canyon Dam and further down the Colorado River.

Newsweek contacted the Bureau of Reclamation for comment via email on Saturday outside of regular office hours.

Why It Matters

Since 1963 the Glen Canyon Dam has obstructed the flow of water and accompanying sand into the Grand Canyon via the Colorado River.

In response the Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program, which falls under Bureau of Reclamation jurisdiction, has opened the dam’s bypass tubes 12 times since 1996 according to local media outlet AZ Central.

Critics argue that failing to flood the Grand Canyon on a regular basis causes its beaches to wash away and has a devastating impact on its wildlife.

What To Know

The Bureau of Reclamation has said it will not flood the Grand Canyon this spring because of ongoing work around the Glen Canyon Dam and Colorado River.

In April the bureau said it would recommend Interior Secretary Doug Burgum not approve a spring flood because of work being conducted by a National Park Service contractor, which is digging a slough downstream from the dam in a bid to prevent non-native fish, such as smallmouth bass, from spawning. On May 22 the agency said it stood by this decision and that it was final.

However critics have argued this could violate the Grand Canyon Protection Act of 1992, which requires government to conserve the National Park’s wildlife and ecosystem.

Environmental campaigners had been pushing for a spring flood to mimic the natural movement of the river and to restore the Grand Canyon’s beaches. Groups representing anglers were also in favor as tailwater rainbow trout stocks have been hit in recent years by low water in Lake Powell, which has also caused temperatures to rise.

Trout Unlimited spokesperson Jim Strogen said a “deeper, colder lake” would be better for fishing.

However, major power consumers had warned spring floods would cut hydroelectric energy production. Leslie James, executive director of the Colorado River Energy Distributors Association, claimed a spring flood could cost between $1 million and $2 million in lost electricity output.

What People Are Saying

Speaking to AZ Central Ben Reeder, the Grand Canyon River Guides representatives at a technical group in collaboration with the Reclamation Bureau, said federal authorities were “looking for any excuse” not to have a flood.

Reeder added: “It really kind of bothers me, honestly, that we talk about the Grand Canyon in these economic terms as if it’s there for human consumption.”

Larry Stevens, an ecologist who represents the Grand Canyon Wildlands Council and Wild Arizona, said he was “deeply disappointed.”

What Happens Next

The decision not to have a spring flood at the Grand Canyon could raise pressure for one later in the year, even though this wouldn’t match the Colorado River’s natural cycle so closely. Tensions around flooding the Grand Canyon are likely to continue between environmentalists, government and electricity producers.