What about Lake Powell's recreation economy?
The most significant contribution to the economy made
by Glen Canyon Dam is not water or power, but recreation. "Lake"
Powell reservoir attracts 2.5 million people annually. The value
of the houseboats alone that utilize the lake is estimated at some
$190 million. However, as this was not the primary purpose for building
the dam, it should not be the primary purpose for retention. Especially
as this form of recreation is having devastating impacts on the
local downstream environments. The petroleum products dispensed
on "Lake" Powell reservoir alone are equivalent to an
Exxon Valdez oil spill every ten years. Fecal matter and other waste
deposited in the reservoir are serious public health concerns, forcing
periodic beach closings. Of even greater concern is the impact that
maintaining "Lake" Powell reservoir has on the world-renowned
Grand Canyon and points beyond. Half the native fish population
in the Grand Canyon has been destroyed and declines continue as
a result of the cooler water and lack of sediment brought on by
the dam. The riparian habitat in the Grand has also changed dramatically,
with invasive species taking over the native ecosystem. Moreover,
the entire ecosystem of the Colorado River Delta above the Sea of
Cortez has been destroyed due to upstream dams - like Glen Canyon
- which restrict flows.
This is why draining advocates are promoting a policy
of economic transformation through restoration. In the case of Glen
Canyon this has two components. One, where once a tourism economy
that relied on the reservoir thrived, a new tourism economy that
relies on a recovering Glen Canyon will rise up. The carrying capacity
will unlikely be at the same level as what has been allowed on "Lake"
Powell reservoir, but as pollution and sediment problems reveal,
the current approach is itself unsustainable. Second, restoration
advocates are promoting the establishment of an international restoration
research facility to be established in the vicinity of the receding
reservoir, of a magnitude comparable or larger to the national research
facilities that were founded after World War II. Combined, such
an economic transformation will ensure the economic vitality of
the communities surrounding Glen Canyon in a sustainable, river-friendly
manner.
|