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Show or Bridge Canyon to keep the reservoir waters out of the Monument so as to not impair it. The Incomparable Katie Lee & the Irrepressible Ken Sleight By 1960, President Eisenhower requested funds in his budget for the protective structures necessary, but Congress repeatedly refused to grant them. Senator Frank E. Moss of Utah even introduced a bill in Congress to strip the protective provisions of the law. The backing-up of the water would not impair it but would substantially enhance it, he said. His bill went nowhere, but the damage had been done. So in the Bureau's eyes, it was either hold the reservoir waters at the lower 3606’ level to keep the waters out of the monument, or build barrier dams to keep the reservoir waters out. It opted for the barrier dam studies. The Bureau, it seems, had no real intentions of ever building the protective dams, even though it went through planning stages. By August 1959,a mammoth construction plan was proposed with costly road accesses. Each of them would have been environmentally catastrophic in themselves. In August 1962, the National Parks Association, the Sierra Club, and other groups filed suit in t he U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C. seeking an injunction to prevent the closing of the gates at the dam until the protective works for the Monument were assured. As the groups could show no standing, the judge dismissed the suit. It was a tough time for the environmental community—on*January 21, 1963, Floyd Dominy announced plans fora series of hydroelectric dams downstream in Grand Canyon. In 1963, the Glen Canyon diversion tunnels were closed, and the reservoir began its destructive rise. The Bureau refused to revise its fill schedule, permitting the reservoir to begin producing power in January even before the barrier dam questions had been resolved. On April 1, 1963, the FROM AROUND THE BEND (In San Juan County) By Ken Sleight REMEMBERING THE FIGHT FOR RAINBOW and the continuing fight to restore Glen Canyon BRIDGE... When the national Sierra Club officials announced that they were to support the draining of Powell reservoir, I was overjoyed. But I was surprised and dismayed when we found out that the Utah Chapter of that same club would determinably oppose this action. I could never figure out why any environmental groups reservoir reached an elevation of 3,234 feet (above sea level) at the mouth of Forbidding Canyon. Soon it entered the canyon. Soon the sandbar that stretched across its mouth and upstream where Harry Aleson and I often camped together disappeared. The reservoir waters rose higher and covered the natural pools of stream water in the canyon leading to Rainbow Bridge. Springs went under and the cottonwoods, willows, and wildflowers were buried. On June 23, 1964, the waters of the reservoir reached the junction of Bridge and Forbidding Canyon and soon encroached into the Narrows and Bridge Canyon. Soon it would reach the boundary of the Monument itself. It was a critical time. At this point, I moved my family to the town of Escalante to be closer to the canyons. Instead of my river boats, I climbed astride my horse to see the canyons, and when I couldn't get my horse up the canyon, I'd walk or climb. . I feel bad that kids and grandkids everywhere will never have the opportunity as I had to ever see and experience those things that I had seen or experienced in Glen Canyon. The reservoir quickly rose in the Escalante River. OnceI tied my inflated boats to the willows on the reservoir's shore. When I returned a few days later with a new group, the boats were half drowned, only the rear ends of them still showed. I pulled myself down into the water to untie the ropes, but they were so tight I ended up cutting them. would not want to see Glen Canyon and Rainbow Bridge restored to their former beauty.. _ In the past, it may have been a case that Glen Canyon was really “a place no one knew.” But‘today, Glen Canyon is well known, and what has been lost has been well: publicized. So when our group of southern’ Utah Sierra Club members wanted to organize a formal group and to speak out in favor of the Glen Canyon restoration, Utah Chapter officials stonewalled. They seem to have taken the lead of the Utah Wildlife Federation of years past. ~ At that time, the Utah Wildlife Federation, an affiliate of the National Wildlife Federation, also did not follow the lead of its National organization. The National was opposed to the Colorado River Storage Project while its Utah affiliate supported it and the dams at the congressional hearing on January 28, 1954. The Utah group was the only The Bureau argued, over and over again, that by flooding Glen Canyon and the Rainbow Bridge National Monument --in the very heartof Glen Canyon-- this national treasure would actually be "improved." affiliate in the nation that didn't accept the lead of the National group. It is my belief that had the Utah environmental community united in purpose and had Another time, when I had left my rig to go out to Escalante to get another group, my taken a strong stand, there would have been no Glen Canyon dam today. I consider this a very serious matter as is indicated by the detailed account that runs in this issue of the three outboard motors and my tool kits were stolen by “Lake Foul boaters.” Because of it, we retraced our steps, and hiked canyons not yet despoiled. After the trip the intrepid Zephyr. To me, it's sink or swim time. We cannot afford the time to wallow about in family Frank Wright came over and towed my boats out to Hall's Crossing. quarrels. We must get on with it. But most painful of all were the major environmental tragedies. The lower part of the Hole-in-the-Rock went under and the register-rock names were obliterated where some of my past kin had scratched their names on the wall face as they made their ill-directed trip to Bluff in 1879. The reservoir covered over the enchantment of Music Temple, the narrow pool-filled meandering passageway of Hidden Passage, and other beautiful canyons. In the 21st Century, it is hidicrous...indeed, quite tragic, to have to defend the actions taken by Congress on August 25, 1916 when it established the national park system. The American people purposely, in the creation of national parks, aimed to set aside and to preserve areas of great primitive beauty and scenic grandeur, areas of inestimable aesthetic and recreational value. Each national park or monument has some particular central feature of outstanding beauty and interest, or some prominent theme. The outstanding feature of Rainbow Bridge National Monument in Glen Canyon was the wondrous bridge itself and the adjoining canyons and living rivers. They all were indeed unique to all the world. The American people directed its agencies to preserve these hallowed areas to keep them unimpaired, and unspoiled , so far as is humanly possible, for the benefit and enjoyment of its citizens and for future generations. It has been a source of inspiration for us all. For this very reason was the Rainbow Bridge National Monument in Glen Canyon created. It is so hard for me to believe that after all of these years, that one federal agency, the Bureau of Reclamation actively solicited Congress to break that long-established policy by authorizing the impairment of the Monument by allowing a reservoir to intrude and destroy its sanctity. In 1954, the Bureau, its supporters and its lobbyists, undermined the very concept of national parks. They argued, over and over again, that by flooding Glen Canyon and the Rainbow Bridge National Monument, in the very heart of Glen Canyon, this national treasure would actually be “improved.” They attempted to instill in the minds of the public that a substitute concept, designed to convince the unwary that the impoundment would furnish recreation for many people. They knew that by drowning these beautiful canyons, by obliterating entirely its outstanding living rivers, the area would no longer qualify as a true national park and its usefulness as such would be gone. It would have lost its very purpose for which it was set aside. It would then be open for development. _ In 1956, the Colorado River Storage Act was enacted, and soon a series of major dams and storage reservoirs drowned many of our rivers and beautiful canyons. Work started on the dam even before the protection of Rainbow Bridge National Monument was assured. By February 11, 1959 the cofferdam blocked the river. Meanwhile, plans were being made by the Bureau to build barrier dams in Forbidding , Thousands of ancient Indian ruins and sites were covered over and destroyed. Rainbow Bridge would soon be in danger even though the law dictated it was to be protected. It was feared the famed structure might fall into the canyons once water encroached under it. Floyd Dominy didn't seem to care. He said “In my opinion water up under the Bridge would make it a more beautiful sight.” And a chorus of voices from Bureau of Reclamation geologists maintained that the reservoir water would not harm the structural integrity of the Bridge and said that barrier dams weren't needed after all. Motoring up the reservoir to the Cathedral in the Desert, I found the sacred amphitheater drowned out, and I had to weep. At the end of the canyons, lizards clung to sticks or branches, waiting to die. At the end of other canyons I found dead carcasses of beaver, no longer able to harvest their cottonwood supply. Also too, the massive Gregory Natural Bridge was devastated and covered over. I made a deal with Barry Goldwater to use his Rainbow Lodge site near Navajo Mountain as a trailhead. It was my intent to hike Harry Aleson take them to Rainbow Bridge by meet and lead them around Navajo Mountain. Hanksville, would fly them back to Escalante. On my guests down the Escalante, then have boat, and then Navajo wranglers would Finally Bill Wells, the flying bishop of my first trial run, I couldn't even get my boats through the deep flood debris that had accumulated at the head of the reservoir in the Escalante. It was all a splendid idea, but a total failure. Others were having their problems too. By 1969, Brower was dismissed from his job as Executive Director of the Sierra Club. He then founded the Friends of the Earth, and molded it into an effective activist group fighting to protect the Monument from reservoir waters. By November 1, 1970, the reservoir had reached to the 3,600 foot level and neared the lower boundary of the Monument. By coincidence or by fate, I met Tom Turner and party of The Friends of the Earth in Coyote Gulch. There at Icicle Springs, after musing the topic |