glen canyon instituteDedicated to the restoration of Glen Canyon and a free flowing Colorado River.
GCI
The 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.
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
Is Lake Powell doomed? And if so, what comes next?
For author Zak Podmore, a former Tribune reporter, there’s good news in the dried-out lakebed. Sure, Glen Canyon is now packed with huge plugs of mud and sediment and the red walls are bleached white. But treasures, like the once-drowned Cathedral in the Desert and surprisingly intact ecosystems, are seeing light for the first time in decades.
Read MoreDamage at Glen Canyon Dam has Colorado River users concerned
Water managers are now worried because of recently discovered damage was discovered inside those important tubes. It’s caused by tiny air bubbles that pop so hard, they can rip away chunks of pipe. “This is a really big infrastructure problem. And it really has a big impact on how water is managed throughout this whole basin,” says Eric Balken, executive director of the nonprofit Glen Canyon Institute.
Read MoreHere’s how off-road vehicles will soon be restricted in Glen Canyon
In 2021, the NPS published a rule expanding off-road vehicle use throughout the national recreation area. The Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA) and the National Parks Conservation Association, both environmental nonprofits, sued the agency over the rule.
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