A River Ran Through It ...Draining Lake Powell

There’s a war brewing in the American Southwest and once again the Colorado River is sitting on ground zero. Environmental groups are calling for the decommissioning of dams all across the country and the biggest of them all is “Glen Canyon Dam” near the Utah, Arizona boarder. In 1963, five million cubic yards of concrete standing 710 feet tall halted the natural flow of the Colorado River through Glen Canyon. The obstruction created an oasis in the desert with nearly 2000 miles of shoreline but drowned some of the most spectacular canyons in the world. While the intent of Glen Canyon Dam was to create hydro-electric power and preserve water claims for the Upper Colorado River Basin, it has grown into much more. Nearly 3 million people visit the impounded waters of “Lake Powell” annually and leave behind over $400 million to the now dependent surrounding communities. The dam building fervor of the 20th century is being replaced with a cry for decommissioning dams and a re-evaluation of how water is managed in the west. Few are as passionate about this issue as Dr Richard Ingebretsen. As well as a full time physician and Physicist, Dr Ingibretsen is the founder and president of the Glen Canyon Institute. A nonprofit organization whose mission is to decommission Glen Canyon Dam and drain Lake Powell so that the Green and Colorado Rivers run freely through Glen and the Grand Canyon. Ingebrertsen is a long-time river runner who, as a youth saw the splendor of Glen Canyon and then watch the water of Lake Powell slowly drown them. With hard science the Institute hopes to persuade the Bureau of reclamation to perform an environmental impact statement on the effects that draining Lake Powell would have on the area. While water loss from evaporation, minimal power production and silt inundation are major arguments for draining the reservoir, what would it look like after four decades under water? Bill Wolverton has spent countless hours hiking and photographing the effect the lake has on the many side canyons of the escalante. The escalante is a major tributary of Glen Canyon and is famous for its sandstone canyons. Over the past 15 years Bill has taken thousands of pictures comparing changes in the canyons as the lake level raises and lowers. Wolverton’s photos illustrate a clear image of the power of nature and the remarkable way water effect’s the canyons of the Colorado Plateau. Regardless of what Glen Canyon could be, should be, or once was, Jerry Romney finds the idea of draining Lake Powell “absolutely absurd”. Romney and his family have been boating on the waters of this reservoir since its conception. He has hiked and boated in every canyon on the lake and plans to continue to do so for as long as he is physically able. The documentary follows these three extraordinary people and their stories in this fight for the place “No One Knew”. Join Dr Richard Ingebretsen on a tour and lecture down the Colorado River through Cataract Canyon and onto the receding waters of Lake Powell. Climb through the twisting canyons of the escalante river drainage with bill Wolverton as he explores and documents the changes of these amazing wonders. Finally, Motor onto the compounded water and into the many canyons of Lake Powell to celebrate Jerry Romney’s 35th consecutive birthday party on the lake. Now, after more than 40 years, a new ecosystem has emerged among the slick rock canyons of the Colorado River. Communities that rely on the economic impacts of the Lake Powell are thriving and a new generation of recreationist has staked claim to the beauty and tranquility of this man made wonder. At the same time a grass roots effort wants the river to run free again and is trying to find scientific grounds for draining the lake. This is a story about people, politics, water and the likelihood of resurrecting a besieged river.