Grand Canyon National Park: The Glen Canyon Dam

Situated north of Grand Canyon National Park, the Glen Canyon Dam serves a multitude of purposes: it controls the distribution of sediment and water, generates $50 to $100 million worth of hydroelectricity, maintains a cold-water trout fishery, and allows for recreational activities in Lake Powell (NRC 1). However, it has also incurred damages to the surrounding environment, which holds cultural significance for the indigenous tribes. In 1988, former Secretary of the Interior Manuel Lujan initiated the Glen Canyon Dam Environmental Impact Studies (EIS) to examine the downstream impact of dam operations. The USBR was first to join the EIS, followed by the National Park Service and state agencies (Austin and Drye 288). However, tribal involvement
did not occur until 30 years after the completion of the dam, when a representative of the President’s Council on Environmental Quality demanded it (Austin and Drye 288, 298). Building upon insights drawn from the EIS, the Grand Canyon Protection Act of 1992 was authorized, creating the Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program (GCDAMP). Presently, the US Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) is collaborating with six tribal agencies: the Havasupai, Hopi, Hualapai, Navajo, Southern Paiutes, and Zuni (USBR 322). However, despite the USBR’s attempts to compromise, the Glen Canyon Dam’s adverse impact on the Grand Canyon and Colorado River ecosystem has prompted lasting controversy as a result of philosophical conflicts between colonialism and Native American worldviews.