PRESS RELEASE: Reclamation’s “Plan” is Vague, Hurts the Grand Canyon, and Still Tries to Save a Doomed Lake Powell

For Immediate Release
Contact: Gary Wockner, Save The Colorado

Bureau of Reclamation’s “Plan” is Vague, Hurts the Grand Canyon, and Still Tries to Save a Doomed Lake Powell

Colorado River: Today, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation released its “plan” to deal with the megadrought on the Colorado River. However, the plan doesn’t cover much new ground. https://www.usbr.gov/newsroom/#/news-release/4294

First, the plan holds true to the 2007 interim guidelines and cuts 711,000 acre feet from Arizona, Mexico, and Nevada as required by previous agreements.

Second, the plan further decreases the amount of water flowing through the Grand Canyon which will cause even more ecological damage to this amazing National Park.

Third, in its “Call for Basin-Wide Conservation”, the plan is still completely vague referring to undefined potential “administrative actions”, “studies”, and “initiatives”.

Finally, the plan continues the effort to “protect critical infrastructure at Glen Canyon Dam”. However, and importantly, the plan proposes to:

• Accelerate ongoing maintenance actions and studies to determine and enhance projected reliability of the use of the river outlet works, commonly referred to as the bypass tubes, at Glen Canyon Dam for extended periods.

“If you were hoping for security and knowing exactly what’s going to happen, Reclamation’s ‘plan’ doesn’t change much of anything,” said Gary Wockner of Save The Colorado. “We encourage Reclamation to focus quickly on how to drain Lake Powell and bypass Glen Canyon Dam because it is the weight that is driving this crisis and dragging the whole system down.”

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