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WESTERN RESOURCES WRAP-UP Series XXVIII, No. 29 Date: 7-26-90 Grand Canyon/Colo. River bill moves ahead, ps. 1-3; weather mod, water & power funding, ps. 4-5 From: Helene C. Monberg 123 Sixth Street Southeast Washington, D.C., 20003 Area Code 202-546-1350-1 r; ';} ~,J ,. Washington--Legislation to protect Grand Canyon in Arizona, a crown jewel in our National Park System, from fluctuating flows of the Colorado River and other damage caused by Glen Canyon Dam has picked up steam in Congress. (See WRW, Series XXVIII, #21, 5-24-90; H9, 5-10-90; H8, 5-3-90.) Both proponents and opponents of the legislation have told Western Resources Wrap-up (WRW) they expect a Grand Canyon protection bill to clear Congress and to be signed into law by president Bush before the end of this year. A bill (HR 4498) sponsored by Chairman George Miller, D-Calif., of the House Water and Power Resources Subcommittee and others clear- ed the House Interior Committee on July 18 after it was amended by Reps. John J. Rhodes, III, R-Ariz., and Ben Nighthorse Campbell, D- Colo., to make the legislation subject to the Colorado River Compacts and other laws regulating the Colorado River. Miller plans to bring up the bill in the House on July 30, before the start of the Con- gressional recess in early August, under suspension of the House rules. He expects the bill to pass with little or no opposition. Chairman Bill Bradley, D-N.J., of the Senate Water and Power Subcommittee held a lengthy hearing on July 24 on a similar bill by Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Dennis DeConcini, D-Ariz., (S 2807). Bradley is co-sponsoring the Senate bill. To ease concerns by water and power interests in the Colorado River Basin who believe such leg- islation is unnecessary, Bradley said at the start of the July 24 hearing, "I believe operation of this (Glen Canyon) Dam can and must provide more protection for the downstream environment, including Grand Canyon," which is located 30 miles below the dam. "At the same time, my responsibility as chairman of this Subcommittee is to ensure that Congress does not unwillingly alter the careful arrangements un- der which the seven states of the Colorado River Basin share the riv- er's limited water. I am confident that we can achieve both goals," he said. The hearing revealed much concern by Colorado River water and power interests about the bill, which environmental and recrea- tional organizations generally support. WRW asked Bradley after the hearing how soon he planned to mark up the bill in Subcommittee. He declined to speculate at this time. Altho the bill is widely re- garded as one of the most important to come before the Subcommittee in this Congress, Sen. Malcolm Wallop, R-Wyo., was the only other Subcomittee member at the July 24 hearing. PROVISIONS IN THE MILLER AND MCCAIN-DECONCINI BILLS The Committee-approved amended Miller bill is much closer to the Senate bill than the original version. The Senate bill was introduced on June 28 by McCain and DeConcini after lengthy discussions with Colorado River water and power interests, the Grand Canyon Trust and others. Both bills require the Secretary of Interior to operate Glen Canyon Dam to protect Grand Canyon National Park and other environ- mental resources along the Colorado River below Glen Canyon Dam. ~ ",i J (