Facing the Future of a Shrinking Lake Powell

Published August 4, 2022 at 3:22 PM MDT

As the West grows increasingly arid, Lake Powell, the nation’s second-largest reservoir, is dwindling. Its retreat has revealed glimpses of the storied red rock canyon submerged for decades under hundreds of feet of water. Environmental advocate Eric Balken says the facts of Lake Powell’s retreat and Glen Canyon’s return pose significant challenges, as well as exciting opportunities.

When it was commissioned in 1956, Glen Canyon Dam was the centerpiece of a massive plan to provide water and generate power for tens of millions of users downstream. But studies show that it may not be able to do either of those things in the very near future. And all the while, more and more of Glen Canyon is being revealed. So, what do we do? Balken joins us to make the case for embracing what he sees as the inevitable change occurring at Lake Powell, where as one reality recedes, another is revealed. He says the time to start planning for that change is now.

Eric Balken, Executive Director of the Glenn Canyon Institute. Read his Deseret Magazine article, "When the Desert Runs Dry." @glencanyoninst

Airdate: Friday, Aug. 5, 2022 at 11 a.m. and Sat, Aug. 6, 2022 at 11 a.m.