WSP08224

• File Number: 8220.101
• Description: Glen Canyon Dam/Lake Powell
• State: AZ
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Date: 1/1/1962
• Title: News Articles - Press Releases - Miscellaneous Topics
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: News Article/Press Release

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~ Design Boutique
. . . the complement to our
interior design service.

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STONEWARE BY
HAL FROMHOLD

Mr. Fromhold fonns each piece of
stoneware himself, following a
method used by the famous Sung
Period potters of China between
the 1 nth and 13th centuries.

"who gives a hoot" . . . a handcrafted clay
sculpture glazed to create soft muted tones
which result in full color and depth.

,

e _ perking
e budget......
. our own designer staff
eFREEdtlIIveryln

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CONTEMPORARY SHOP, 315 S. Cascade
. GALLERIES. m S. Tejon
. COLONIAL SHOP, 3255. CacMIe . Phone[phone]

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BRIDIE continued
elevation of 3,606 feet at the
northern edge where lake water
is backing up into Bridge Creek.
-At 3,654 feet, the water will
back up Bridge Creek far
enough to reach the bottom of a
60-foot-deep inner gorge beneath
the bridge. At the 3,700-loot level,
when the reservoir is full. the
water will push through to the
southern boundary-still within
the creek bed-and provide
about 40 feet of static water
. below the bridge. At that level
the water still would be 21 and
33 feet respectively below the
abutments of Rainbow Bridge.
Other basic issues are in con-
tention in a case pending in the
U,S, District Court for Washing-
ton, D.C, The suit asserts that
Lake Powell water should Dot be
permitted to invade any part of
the national monument. At lake
capacity. damage to the bridge
itself is envisioned.
A bit of history is appropriate
because the debate is not new.
Back in 1909 Nasja Begay, a
Paiute Indian. and trader.ar-
chaeologist John Wetherill led
Dr. Byron Cummings of the Uni-
versity of Utah and W. B. Doug-
lass, a government surveyor, to
Rainbow Bridge. On May 3D,
,1910, President William Howard
Taft set aside 160 acres around
the bridge as a national monu-
ment.
Because the bridge was ac.
cessible only by 14 difficult land
miles on mule. horse and foot,

GLEN CANYON
NATtONAl. RECREATION AREA

Conservationists warned

less than 200 visitors a year was
the average for the next 40 years.
Then came plans for Glen Can-
yon Dam.
Even before Congress ap4
proved the big reclamation proj-
ect, conservationists warned of
dangers/to Rainbow Bridge; Six-
teen years ago--<>n April 23, 1955
-The Denver Post headlined a
story: Dam held no p'eril to
bridge. It began:
"A Reclamation' Bureau offi-
cial denied. before a House recla-
mation subcommittee hearing on
legislation to authorize the
Upper Colorado River Project
that COnstruction of Glen Can-
yon Dam would endanger the
Rainbow Bridge natural forma-
tion." '
Construction plans at that time
did include a protective dam for
the area of the bridge, When
Congress in 1956 approved the
project. there were two special
provisions in the six4page act:
", . . Provided further, that as
part of the Glen Canyon Unit the
Secretary of Interior'sba1l take
adequate protective measures to
preclude impairment of the
Rainbow Bridge National Monu-
ment-" And:
"It is the intention of Congress
that no dam or reservoir con-
structed under the authorizatiOn.
of this Act shall be witb.iit any
national park or monument."
Interior Secretary Fred Seaton
and his successor, Stewart UdaD,
attempted to comply with the
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. RAINBOW BRIDGE . ',.
NAlIONAL IIONUIIENT ,/
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Near the Utah line at Page, Ariz., the Glen Canyon Dam backs
Colorado River up and out 01 the deep and narrow canyon walls.

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Mot 16, 1971 . EMPIRE MAGAZINE

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