California farmers: Glen Canyon Dam a major problem in West’s water supply
California farmers are putting a big target on Glen Canyon Dam, telling the federal government it’s time to take a serious look at suggestions to stop using the dam to produce electricity. Talk of decommissioning the dam has been on the fringe of criticism of U.S. Bureau of Reclamation management of the Colorado River, but it could gain momentum as public comment is released in the coming days. Reclamation asked for input as it works on the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for managing the river as the Colorado River Compact — the “Law of the River” — nears expiration in 2026. More than 21,000 comments were submitted, and they are expected to be publicly available in the coming days. Conservation groups, government agencies, businesses and private citizens all weighed in. Public comment ended on Aug. 15.
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