One of the most hotly debated topics today concerns the draining of Lake Powell. As early as 1963, when the dam was built, David Brower argued, "Hoover, Parker, and Davis dams already exist and control the river adequately; they could probably continue to do so until Lake Mead is silted in completely, perhaps two hundred year from now" (Porter, 1963). Environmentalists argue that Glen Canyon Dam was originally built to control flooding and as it no longer serves that purpose, the lake should be drained. Many people are opposed to this idea, from congressmen to recreationists as Lake Powell serves the needs of boaters, fishers, etc. and the dam provides a steady source of hydropower.
Historic sites have disappeared including the Crossing of the Fathers, used by Escalante and Dominquez in 1776; the fording place on the Hole-in-the-Rock Trail created by the Mormons in 1880; gold mining sites of the 1880s, 1890s, and early 1900s; and rock art panels and homes of the Anasazi. Even the glen in which John Wesley Powell stood in awe and for which the canyon and dam took its name, is covered beneath 500 feet of water.
Risks to the Glen Canyon Dam
Glen Canyon Institute
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