glen canyon instituteDedicated to the restoration of Glen Canyon and a free flowing Colorado River.
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Take Action to Protect Glen Canyon
Submit your comments to the Post-2026 EIS to ensure Glen Canyon and it's emerging resources are protected.
MoreGlen Canyon, A River Guide Remembers
The John Wesley Powell River History Museum presents a historical account of a river trip led by Ken Sleight in Glen Canyon in the late 1950s, a unique window into what Glen Canyon was like before it was flooded.
MoreThe Breakthrough Deal to Protect the Colorado River, Explained
California, Arizona and Nevada—the three states that make up the system’s “Lower Basin”—reached an agreement with the Biden administration to conserve 3 million acre-feet of water over the next three years, which is 13 percent of those states’ total allocation from the river. In exchange, the Biden administration will compensate the states with about $1.2 billion in federal funds.
More2022 Report “Antique Plumbing & Leadership Postponed”
A new report from Glen Canyon Institute, Utah Rivers Council, and the Great Basin Water Network reveals that the limited plumbing inside Glen Canyon Dam may soon prevent Upper Basin states from meeting its delivery obligation to Lower Basin states.
MoreRiver Talk: Read our blog
Click here to explore our blog, River Talk. We discuss science, policy, and feature photo essays and trip reports.
MoreCommemorative Dawn Kish Photo Auction
Please considering buying one of these amazing Dawn Kish photos from her expeditions with Tad Nichol's camera.
MoreGlen Canyon ExperienceGCI stories and canyon history
Explore our photo galleries, films, and story maps and find inspiration for when we are able to get back out and explore the river and canyons.
Click here for the Glen Canyon ExperienceReturning Rapids ProjectSee the changes in Cataract and Glen Canyon
Over the last several years, our partners in Moab have been surveying and researching the huge changes happening along the Colorado River through Cataract, Narrow, and now Glen Canyons. Please click below to visit their site and explore the work they have done to understand how the river is evolving as the reservoir recedes.
Returning RapidsRIVER NEWS
A plumbing issue at this Lake Powell dam could cause big trouble for Western water
It’s the latest twist in the saga of Glen Canyon Dam, which has been at the center of recent concern about the shrinking Colorado River, even before news of the damaged pipes came to light. Water experts fear Lake Powell could drop so low that water would be unable to pass through hydropower turbines that generate electricity for about 5 million people across seven states. If it falls even lower, water would be unable to pass through the dam at all, keeping it out of the Grand Canyon just downstream of Lake Powell.
Read MoreHumans Killed Cataract Canyon. It Brought Itself Back to Life
Sixty years ago, this stretch of river was considered as ferocious — and nearly as beautiful — as the Grand Canyon. Then, in 1963, the Glen Canyon Dam was built to store water for human use, which backed up the Colorado River behind it to create Lake Powell. The rising waters snaked upstream, inundating the main river and dozens of its side canyons. Here, at its farthest reaches in Cataract Canyon, the reservoir flooded rapids and then buried the riverbed, including the boulders that made up those rapids, in thick layers of sediment — a mud plug that built up to be so enormous that it flattened out the steep gradient of the riverbed that had made those rapids so fierce.
Read MoreUncovering the Layered History of Glen Canyon Dam: A Tale of Dispossession and Indigenous Voices
Bsumek’s work delves into the complex history of Glen Canyon Dam, built in the 1950s, revealing it as an extension of these Anglo visions. She argues that the dam is not merely a utilitarian structure but a physical manifestation of Indigenous dispossession. This perspective challenges traditional narratives surrounding the dam, offering a fresh and nuanced understanding of its origins and impact.
Read MoreRiver TalkThe Blog of Glen Canyon Institute
Please find a variety of essays and write-ups pertaining to Glen Canyon and the river by visiting our blog. We cover science, adventure, and current issues that are impacting Glen Canyon. Our blog features both Glen Canyon Institute staff and researchers as well as outside voices.
Our Blog