Dominy vs. Brower Debate

Update

From Hidden Passage, the Journal of Glen Canyon Institute
Volume V

Dominy vs. Brower Debate

In the last issue of Hidden Passage we announced a second debate between Floyd Dominy, former head of the Bureau of Recreation, and David Brower, vice president of Glen Canyon Institute who led the successful battle against dams in the Grand Canyon in the 1950s. This debate, unfortunately, was canceled. Hopefully it will be rescheduled; we’ll let you know.

The last opportunity to enjoy a discussion between these two very intellegent, passionate men occurred at the first annual Fall Conference of Glen Canyon Institute in October, 1995. We offer an example from that debate of two very different viewpoints on dams:

Question: When will Glen Canyon Dam pay for itself?

Floyd Dominy—

The total cost of the project, as I told you, is $7,800,000,000. It’s gonna take a few years. Glen Canyon Dam—the revenues are already well over a billion dollars in 30 years. Now all of that can’t go toward repaying Glen Canyon Dam itself because it’s earmarked to help pay for these participating projects. But it’s a moneymaker, don’t worry about that.

David Brower—

Well, I of course have a slightly different opinion; you can count on that. I used to say during the battle over the Grand Canyon dams, that I didn’t care how many dams they built in the Grand Canyon, provided they built a separate and equal Grand Canyon somewhere else first. And this is what I would say about the cost of Glen Canyon Dam. You will know the cost of Glen Canyon and the dam when you have built a separate and equal Glen Canyon somewhere else, just like what was lost.