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VoU, No.1 Grand Canyon Trust August 1989 Colorado Plateau Advocate Glen Canyon Dam-- Action and Results The operation of Glen Canyon Dam - particularly the widely fluctuat- ing w3lel'releases to meet "peaking power" demand - causes subsl3ntial advene impact on downslreal11 resources in the Grand Canyon, Since the 19705. the professional river guides and private boaters have reported the harmful impact of peaking power releases on the recreational resources. The Bureau of Reclamation's Glen Canyon Environmental SbJdies (GCES) Final Report, issued in January 1988 after more than six years of re- search. concluded that fluctuating releases. which cause the Colorado River to rise and fall as much as 13 feet in a day, have a negative effect on recreation and aquatic resources. specif'1C8Ily the blue ribbon trout fishery and the endangered humpback chub. Equally important, the GCES report also concluded that alter- native operating criteria - reducing the extreme fluctuations and providing higher steadier flows - would mitigate the resource loss and, in some cases. even improve the status of those resources. The Department of the Interior responded to the conclusions of the Glen Canyon Environmental SbJdies merely by directing the Bureau ofRecIa- mation to conduct more studies. Glen Canyon Environmental Studies became Glen Canyon "Endless" Studies - a study process designed to avoid - not reach - a decision and to continue operations of Glen Canyon Dam without change as long as possible, Last year, the Grand Canyon Trust and a broad coalition of environmental organizations and the Western River Guides and Grand Canyon River Guides Associations initiated a campaign with two principal objectives: Inside: - Air Pollutioll Diminishes View o/Grand Canyoll (1) to establish a decision making process. including the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement, which has an identified decision point and in which all the various interests and constituencies have a full opportu- nity to participate; and - Limits 011 Aircraft Over- flights ill Naliolltll Parks - River Trip News Trust Opens New OlJice in Flagstaff, Welcomes Jim RtU:h to Staff (2) to require the Department of the Interior to establish operating criteria COlltill~d 011 page 6 President's Report The publication of this first issue of the Colorado Plaleau Advo- Cale. the appoinunent of Jim Ruch as Executive Vice President and Director of the headquarters offICe, and the opening of our new headquarters of- fice in The Homestead in Flagstaff. Arizona together mark a bright transi- tion point in the evolution of the Grand Canyon Trust From the beginning, our pri- mary institutional goal has been the creation of a regional conservation organization wotldng on a broad spec- trum of issues affecting the future of the Colorado Plateau. with our head- quarters office and staff located in the Plateau. our Board of Directors pri- marily from the Plateau, and a mem- bership representing people who live in the region and the major population centers on the periphery and the na- tional and international constituency that is drawn to and cares about the future of the Plateau, We hope that this flrstissue of the Colorado Plateau Advocale will provide you with a sense of our very subsl3ntial progress, and equally im- portant, an appreciation of the poten- tial for the Grand Canyon Trust to be a powerful force for the protection. pres- ervation. and wise management of the public lands. water. wildlife. and other natural resources of the Colorado Pla- teau, COlltillued Olllle:tl page