Mother Natures :: essays research papers fc

Mother Natures Time ShareLake Powell is a family resort for many. Every year at least two million people enjoy its splendor. plainly I would assume they do non know the trouble that lies beneath. Lake Powell was voted in by a small margin in March, 1956. It was part of the Colorado River terminal Project, also known as CRSP. Ever since its beginning, some of the people who helped build the dam have had regrets for what has been done to the canyon. Lake Powell has spurred controversy since its beginning on many issues environmental problems, water rights, and the energy it generates. But the reservoir has its good points as well. There have been many jobs created and a thriving tourist foodstuff that have been the result of the dam. The concern now is the reservoirs water level. At forty percent it is the lowest we have seen the lake since its establishment. We are not expecting more than water due to the drought and researchers say it will not be ending soon. The question is sh ould Lake Powell be refilled?HistoryIn 1922 the Colorado River Compact was organized. This disposal allocated the resources of the Colorado River and its tributaries. The Upper Basin States (Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and Wyoming) realized that the Colorado River Compact had overestimated the rivers annual flow and wanted to guarantee their water rights. The only counseling the Upper Basin states saw fit to ensure their water was to literally hold onto their water in reservoirs. 1956 brought the beginning of the Glen canyon dam. But Glen Canyon was not the only site that was being considered as a possible site for the reservoir. Echo Park, in Dinosaur National Monument was another option that was being discussed by the Bureau of Reclamation. The Sierra Club was fighting to keep both dams from being built. In the end they had the choice and traded Glen Canyon for Echo Park (Ritchey). June of 1960 brought the beginning of the dam. quint million yards of concrete were poured into th e canyon over the period of two years. The construction did not stop until the dam was complete in September of 1962. After Glen Canyon Dam was completed, and to this day, it stands 710 feet with an average water depth of 560 feet when the reservoir is full. The dam stops water for one 186 miles up stream, creating 2,200 miles of shore line (Booth).