One Dam Solution for Colorado River

Photo: Eric Kilby/Flickr

The problems facing the Colorado River aren’t new, especially if you live or recreate throughout the West. A greater demand for the river’s water and a decades-long drought have combined to dramatically reduce river flows and water levels in the two storage reservoirs – Lake Powell and Lake Mead.

One solution being proffered by farmers in California’s Imperial Valley is to remove the Glen Canyon Dam, which creates Lake Powell. According to an article in the LA Times, removing the Glen Canyon Dam would ensure that Imperial Valley farmers continue to have water, even during low water years. Glen Canyon Dam also generates electricity, which is a lower-priority use of water in the Colorado River system than providing irrigation water.

This “one dam” solution has been talked about in recent years, but with the support of influential farmers in the Imperial Valley, it has more legs than it previously did.

You can read more about this proposed solution here.