There have been a number of articles published recently that provide us with additional ammunition for fighting this project.
The Washington Post reports that a new study published in BioScience confirms that a significant volume of greenhouse gas emissions is coming from a little-considered place: Man-made reservoirs. Given the world wide concerns with climate change, increasing the size of any reservoir at this point seems unwise.
Last week, the U.S. Dept. of Interior (DOI) released its long-awaited Environmental Impact Statement for its management plan forGlen Canyon Dam which creates Lake Powell. Responding to comments that Save the Colorado put into the Draft EIS, DOI admits that Glen Canyon Dam produces dirty energy in the form of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from methane. New science estimates greenhouse gas emissions from Glen Canyon Dam are equal to 193 million cars on the road/year or burning 976 billion pounds of coal/year.
Science Magazine reported on the 70% likelihood of a megadrought in the American Southwest. The article states that an aggressive reduction in global greenhouse gas emissions cuts megadrought risks nearly in half. Considering the Washington Post article and the DOI’s report referenced above, why would the government approve additional dams when reservoirs are now thought to increase those greenhouse gas emissions?
The Aspen Daily News published an article describing what would occur if (when) a drought like that of 2000 – 2006 were to occur – Lake Powell would be emptied. But long before it is empty there would be huge problems with the “plumbing” of the West. The 1922 Colorado River Compact requires that the Upper Basin states (including Colorado) share water with the Lower Basin states. If the surface of the water in Lake Powell were to drop only 127 feet from it’s current elevation of 3617 feet, a “compact call” would be triggered as the Upper Basin states would be unable to deliver enough water the Lower Basin states. That call would almost certainly mean halting most transmountain water diversions in Colorado. Given this threat, raising Gross Dam to hold additional diverted water makes no sense as there may not be enough water in the future to fill the existing reservoir, let alone the expanded one.
These studies are getting a lot of attention. Just this past week, Grace Hood, the Energy and Environment Reports from Colorado Public Radio, interviewed a number of Gross Reservoir North Shore residents for research she is doing on an article about the demands on the Colorado River. We hope to get a lot of publicity out of that and will keep you posted on when and how to listen to the story.
There are SO MANY reasons to stop the Gross Dam expansion project. This is a GRASS ROOTS EFFORT so stay informed and don’t give up!