| Show 22A The Salt Lake Tribune "PM Sunday September 2 1990 tTICE! Is Dam Ruining Grand Canyon Beaches? By Casey Bukro Chicago Tribune Writer GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK Ariz— Henry Thevenia 12 wonders if he has a future as a river raft guide on the Colorado River the churning stream that carved out the Grand Canyon It's not just his own future Henry worries about but that of the river and all the wildlife in the Grand Canyon one of the wonders of the world Clutching the tiller Henry skillful- ly guides a motorized raft through a white-watrapid His eyes are trained on threatening rocks although he glances occasionally at his river guide father for approval "They say the beaches are going away" said Henry referring to the sandy shores where rafters camp beneath towering red rock walls and wild creatures live a mile below the canyon's rim "Bigger rapids will happen more dangerous" These are big worries for a boy but Henry is not alone 22000 rafters shoot the rapids each year "A real concern bordering on panic is starting to set in" said John Feed Grand Canyon National Park assistant superintendent "If the beaches are gone what happens to the Grand Canyon experience?" Grand Canyon the nation's third most popular national park with 39 million visitors in 1989 is under siege from forces unleashed 26 years ago with the opening of the Glen Canyon hydroelectric power dam six miles northeast of the park On an average day the Colorado River rises and falls eight feet or more as a result of dam operations to meet the electric power needs of New Mexico Colorado Arizona Wyoming Nevada and Utah National Park Service officials say the fluctuation in water levels caused by the dam is the most pressing problem facing Grand Canyon National Park and Congress is demanding action to protect the park Operated by the US Interior Department's Bureau of Reclamation the dam serves as a "peaking unit" meaning it meets sudden demand for electricity by drawing water out of Lake Powell through turbines and flushing it down the Colorado River "The peak is when everyone gets up in the morning and plugs in their coffee pots" explained Dick White the dam's operations chief Because of the rush of water from the dam Colorado River levels rise within four or five hours then drop again by evening only to repeat the cycle the next day Natural-resource- s experts say this has brought major changes to the river some good and some bad On the negative side the dam traps 87 percent of the 500000 tons of sediment once carried by the Colorado River each day The sediment is vital to rebuilding the 200 river beaches in the canyon Fluctuating water levels also cause erosion strand 200 to 500 fish a day and uncover fish spawning beds On the other hand the dam regulates the river's flow so that it is not subject to flooding and the river is usable for recreation for a longer time in the summer instead of running dry Bird populations are growing and some marshes are reappearing Before the dam the Colorado's water ran warm and muddy The river turned cold and clear with water from the dam reservoir allowing the introduction of trout and a new sport fishing industry But two native fish species the bonytail chub and the Colorado squawfish became extinct "We're not saying blow up the dam" said Carm Moehle Arizona chairman of Trout Unlimited "We want it regulated" by stabilizing the flow of water from the dam Blaine Hamann power operations manager for the dam says flow stabilization is possible but that would render the dam useless as a peaking unit and another source of rapid power production would have to be ' in July ordered the Bureau of Reclamation to prepare an environmental impact statement on the dam's effect on the Grand Canyon and the Colorado River It is expected to be finished in 1991 on Sen John McCain June 29 introduced legislation to protect the Grand Canyon from damage caused by the Glen Canyon Dam Dav 0 ROADWAY SHOE rzEptiln Yes we are still on 3rd South (Broadway) Better than ever with your SHOE REPAIR NEEDS Finest materials and best workmanship MORE PARKING Better Service And we also are at the following locations to serve you better quality and aircraft noise Reed the park's assistant superintendent said: "Once the Glen Canyon Dam came into existence the Grand Canyon was changed forever We know that the beaches an integral park of the river-ru- n experience are disappearing It is hitting everyone that this is an irreversible The US House of Representatives on July 30 passed a resolution urging Lujan to protect the Grand Canyon by establishing "moderate flows" from Glen Canyon Dam until completion of the environmental impact statement Park officials see the fluctuating water flows as the park's top environmental issue followed by air BAD 0 rt WHILE YOU WAIT OR SHOP SERVICE OLYMPUS HLLS MALL VALLEY FAIR MALL COTTONWOOD MALL OGDEN CITY MALL OGDEN SUGAR HOUSE SIMPSON AVE CROSSROADS PLAZA RICHARDS ST LEVEL WIEST SELECTION process" Of MI POLISHES IN STATE er power-generatin- 0 1 i JIP1' -- Tr 11 try : AI I : (0)L g Alti : 144 ' : or' 41 ' i0 A11C‘: L4 )'' P4 4 4ft '4tk 1 ' - 0' '':— 't r t ' - i tea01 4 g'4144A ' Z 1 ' ' Ng slig k °''''):4' N a t 4 - i''''9”' ' fe ' '' '4f 4 ''N 'A - i A ' - J i I 4e1'44° Iv 4 Environmentalists say Glen Canyon Dam has been operated too long for the profit and benefit of the power industry which produces cheap in electricity for places like Phoenix and affluent sb g0 It found 0 i 1 '4" b ' llf ' N r tA Scottsdale Ariz "We are saying that the secretary of interior has the responsibility to operate the facility to protect the environment endangered species and natural and recreational values of Grand Canyon National Park" said 4t i l' ' 1 8ii ' : :- I Ed Osann of the National Wildlife been the "That hasn't Federation - t - case- Tom executive director of Colorado River Resources Coalition in Salt Lake City disagreed "I would say the impacts (of the dam) have been blown out of proportion" he said Cahill pointed out that a 1984 National Park Service study of Colorado River beaches found 42 percent unchanged 30 percent larger and 28 percent smaller Also Cahill said Glen Canyon electricity users would pay $391 million a year extra for power if the flow were stabilized because utilities would be forced to find more expensive alternative energy sources One power official proposed carting sand into the canyon to restore beaches and leave dam flows as they Cahill - 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