Nevada
Analysis: The coming failure of Glen Canyon Dam
This story was originally published by High Country News.
Floyd Dominy, the commissioner of the federal Bureau of Reclamation in the 1960s, was largely responsible for the construction of Glen Canyon Dam on the Colorado River. In 1963, when the dam was completed, he could not have foreseen the climate situation we find ourselves in today, with declining snowpack, record-high temperatures and alarmingly low water levels in Lake Powell, year after year. But he and his engineers could have, and should have, foreseen that the way they designed the dam would leave little room to maneuver should a water-supply crisis ever impact the river and its watershed.
Indeed, a state of crisis has been building on the Colorado for decades, even as the parties that claim its water argue over how to divide its rapidly diminishing flows. Lately, things have entered a new and perilous phase. Last Nov. 11 was a long-awaited deadline: Either the states involved — California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, Colorado and Wyoming — would have to agree on a new management plan, or else the federal government would impose its own, something none of the parties would welcome. Meanwhile, the 30 tribes that also hold claims to the river have historically been and continue to be excluded from these negotiations.
That deadline came and went, and instead of acting, the government punted, this time to Feb. 14. Nobody was surprised: Unmet deadlines and empty ultimatums have been business as usual on the river for years. Decades of falling reservoir levels and clear warnings from scientists about global warming and drought have prompted much hand-wringing and some temporary conservation measures, but little in the way of permanent change in how water is used in the Colorado River Basin. This month’s deadline also came and went.
For decades, the seven Basin states have used more water than the river delivers by drawing their entitlements from surpluses banked in reservoirs during the wet 1980s and ’90s, chiefly in Lake Mead and Lake Powell. Never mind that those entitlements were based on an over-estimate of river flows in 1922, when the Colorado River Compact was established, rendering the “paper” water of the entitlements essentially a fiction, not to mention a source of continual conflict. That savings account has now been drained: Mead and Powell are each below 30 percent full, and the trend is steadily downward. Global warming has only accelerated the decline: So far this century, the river’s flow has fallen 20 percent from its long-term annual averages, and scientists forecast more of the same as the climate continues to heat up.
Meanwhile, the physical infrastructure that enables Colorado River water management is on the verge of its own real and potentially catastrophic crisis — and yet Reclamation has barely acknowledged this, with the exception of an oblique reference in an unposted technical memorandum from 2024. The falling reservoir levels reveal another, deeper set of problems inside Glen Canyon Dam, which holds back the Colorado and Lake Powell. The 710-foot-tall dam was designed for a Goldilocks world in which water levels would never be too high or too low, despite the well-known fact that the Colorado is by far the most variable river in North America, prone to prodigious floods and extended droughts. But the Bureau, bursting with Cold War confidence — or hubris — chose to downplay the threat. In the record-breaking El Niño winter of 1983, the Bureau almost lost the dam to overtopping, due to both its mismanagement and its design, because the dam lacks sufficient spillway capacity for big floods. Only sheets of plywood installed across its top and cooler temperatures that slowed the melting of that year’s snowpack saved Glen Canyon Dam.
Today, the dam is threatened not by too much water but too little. In March 2023, the water level of Lake Powell dropped to within 30 feet of the minimum required for power generation, known as “minimum power pool.” At 3,490 feet above sea level, minimum power pool is 20 feet above the generators’ actual intakes, or penstocks, but the dam’s eight turbines must be shut down at minimum power pool to avoid cavitation — when air is sucked down like a whirlpool into the penstocks, forming explosive bubbles which can cause massive failure inside the dam.
Even more worrisome is what would happen next. At minimum power pool, the penstocks would have to be closed, and the only remaining way to pass water through the dam is the river outlet works, or ROWs: two intakes in the rear face of the dam leading to four 96-inch-diameter steel pipes with a combined maximum discharge capacity of 15,000 cubic feet per second. However, the ROWs, also known as bypass tubes, have a serious design flaw: They are unsafe to use for extended intervals, and start to erode when the reservoir is low.
In 2023, when the ROWs were used to conduct a high-flow release into the Grand Canyon at low-reservoir levels, there was, in fact, damaging cavitation, and the Bureau has warned that there would likely be more in the event of their extended use. In practice, safe releases downstream may only be a fraction of their claimed capacity — and if the tubes begin to experience cavitation, flows may need to be cut off entirely. Such a scenario would compromise the dam’s legal downstream delivery requirements, or, to put it bluntly, its ability to deliver enough water to the 25 million people downstream who rely on it — as well as the billions of dollars’ worth of agriculture involved. This means that Lake Powell — and with it, the entire Colorado River system — is perilously close to operational failure.
If reservoir levels drop to the ROWs’ elevation of 3,370 feet above sea level, Lake Powell would reach “dead pool,” where water would pass through the dam only when the river’s flow exceeded the amount of water lost to evaporation from the reservoir. No other intakes nor spillways exist below the ROWs. There is no “drain plug.” Yet there is more dam — 240 feet more before the bottom of the reservoir, effectively the old riverbed. This not-insignificant impoundment — about 1.7 million acre-feet of water — would be trapped, stagnant and heating in the sun, prone to algal blooms and deadly anoxia. The lake would rise and fall wildly, as much as 100 feet in a season, because of the martini-glass shape of Lake Powell’s vertical cross section.
Insufficient or no flows through Glen Canyon Dam would be a disaster of unprecedented magnitude, affecting vast population centers and some of the biggest economies in the world, not to mention ecosystems that depend on the river all the way to the Gulf of California in Mexico. The Lower Basin states of California, Arizona and Nevada warned as much in a recent letter to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, saying that Reclamation’s failure to mention the dam’s plumbing problems in its current environmental impact statement for post-2026 operations is against federal law. The letter reads: “Addressing the infrastructure limitations may be the one long-term measure that would best achieve operation and management improvements to the Glen Canyon Dam.”
To date, however, the Bureau has made no formal response.
One thing is clear: Glen Canyon Dam will need to be modified to meet its legal and operational requirements. In the process, the health of the ecosystems in Glen Canyon, above the dam, and in Grand Canyon, below it, must be considered. The best way to avoid operational failure and the economic and ecological disasters that would follow is to re-engineer the dam to allow the river to run through it or around it at river level, transporting its natural sediment load into the Grand Canyon.
As it happens, Floyd Dominy himself provided us with a simple and elegant plan for how to do it. In 1997, the former commissioner sketched on a cocktail napkin how new bypass tunnels could be drilled through the soft sandstone around the dam and outfitted with waterproof valves to control the flow of water and sediment. What it prescribes is treating the patient — the Colorado River, now on life support — with open-heart surgery, a full bypass. Dominy’s napkin, which he signed and gave to my colleague Richard Ingebretsen, the founder of Glen Canyon Institute, is effectively a blueprint for a healthier future for the Colorado River and the people and ecosystems that depend on it.
But the window for action to avoid dead pool is dauntingly narrow and closing fast, especially given the time that would likely be required for the government to study, design and implement a fix. The Trump administration’s gutting of federal agency expertise and capacity adds yet more urgency to the issue. The feds and the basin states need to look beyond the water wars and start building a lasting, sustainable future on the Colorado River.
Wade Graham is a historian and writer based in Los Angeles. He is the author of books on landscape, urbanism and environmental history. Since 1999, he has been a trustee of the Glen Canyon Institute.
First team
Ty Ahlstrom, Centennial – The junior had 373 digs and was a first-team 5A all-state libero for the 5A state runner-up.
Evan Ditmar, Palo Verde – The senior first-team 5A all-state outside hitter had 187 kills with a .328 hitting percentage.
Luke Hashimoto, Arbor View – The senior had 302 digs and 37 aces for the 5A state champion.
Porter Hughes, Basic – The senior had 373 kills with 218 digs and 38 aces for the 5A state semifinalist.
Lincoln Larson, Centennial – The senior was the 5A state player of the year and was second in the state with 460 kills, on a .371 hitting percentage, and added 283 digs and 72 aces for the 5A state runner-up.
Jagger Mendenhall, Palo Verde – The senior first-team 5A all-state setter had 414 assists.
Risden Miller, Arbor View – The junior led the 5A state champion with 279 kills and added 173 digs.
RJ Regalado, Centennial – The senior had 723 assists and was a first-team 5A all-state.
Max Romzek, Shadow Ridge – The junior had 152 kills on a .437 hitting percentage with 66 blocks for the 5A state semifinalist.
Mateo Salomon, Shadow Ridge – The sophomore had 169 kills with a .374 hitting percentage for the 5A state semifinalist.
Keagan Sugden, Arbor View – The junior setter led the state with 1,129 assists for the 5A state champion.
Mau Tuiaana, Centennial – The senior had 162 kills on a .397 hitting percentage, 92 blocks and 147 digs for the 5A state runner-up.
Kenyon Wickliffe, Arbor View – The senior had a .477 hitting percentage with 176 kills and 46 blocks for the 5A state champion. He is committed to Cal State Northridge.
Jacob Wienke, Desert Oasis – The senior was the 4A Mountain League player of the year led the Diamondbacks with 290 kills and 154 digs on their way to the 4A state title.
Coach of the year
Nicole Adarme, Arbor View – Guided the Aggies to the Class 5A state title, the program’s first boys volleyball title.
Second team
Graham Blanchard, Arbor View – The senior had 179 kills, 32 aces and 136 digs for the 5A state champion.
Zelworth Chavis, Liberty – The 4A Lake League player of the year had 731 assists and 64 aces for the 4A state semifinalist.
Zavier Coleman, Shadow Ridge – The senior had 139 kills and 136 digs and was a first-team 5A all-state selection.
Andrew Gutierrez, Palo Verde – The junior had 153 kills 35 aces and was a first-team 5A all-state outside hitter.
Ty Hardy, Basic – The senior had 274 kills and 257 digs for the 5A state semifinalist.
Ty Harper, Shadow Ridge – The senior had 211 digs and was a first-team 5A all-state selection for the 5A state semifinalist.
Kaleb Law, Mojave – The senior was the 4A Sky League player of the year and was second in the state with 436 kills on a .457 hitting percentage with 69 blocks, 55 aces and 249 digs to help the Rattlers reach the 4A state semifinals.
Oakland Liugalua, Cadence — The freshman had 406 kills on a .396 hitting percentage with 154 digs and 57 aces.
Gavin McColl, Centennial – The senior had 154 kills on a .333 hitting percentage with 94 blocks for the 5A state runner-up.
Brad Rappleye, Sky Pointe – The junior was the 4A Desert League player of the year and had 187 kills and 78 blocks to help the Eagles reach the 4A state title game.
Levi Randall, Boulder City – The junior had 149 kills with a .477 hitting percentage and 92 blocks for the 3A state champion.
Yeheshua Ruiz, Foothill – The senior had 157 kills with a .426 hitting percentage with 70 blocks and was a first-team 5A all-state selection.
Preston Van Beveren, Boulder City – The senior had 137 kills on a .457 hitting percentage with 99 blocks, 27 aces and 141 digs for the 3A state champion.
David Zwahlen, Boulder City – The 3A state player of the year had 232 kills with a .364 hitting percentage, with 337 digs and 70 aces.
Honorable mention
Aaron Bagalawis, Mojave
Treyden Baltazar, Coronado
Kaden Co, Liberty
Jayden Elliazar-Keiki, Shadow Ridge
Ben Fife, Palo Verde
Dallas Hashimoto, Sky Pointe
Jacob Hutchings, SLAM! Nevada
Tucker Jenkins, Sky Pointe
Makai Kelley, Sky Pointe
Gibson Lamoreaux, Boulder City
Quintrell McGee, Mojave
Zion Moore, Shadow Ridge
Hunter Perkins, Cheyenne
Gunnar Robinson, Arbor View
Thomas Rowley, Coronado
Easton Smith, Desert Oasis
Spencer Stolworthy, Moapa Valley
Cooper Swenson, Centennial
Parker Teal, Centennial
Toller Trummell, Foothill
Jordan Valdez, Liberty
Owen Wenger, Arbor View
Luke Wilkinson, Coronado
Contact Alex Wright at awright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlexWright1028 on X.
Marner scored 16 seconds later, when his backhanded shot from near the wall in the right face-off circle was inadvertently knocked into the net by Carolina defenseman Sean Walker, giving Vegas a 2-0 lead.
Marner made it 3-0 at 14:32, 11 seconds after he hit the right post on a breakaway. Brayden McNabb kept the puck in the zone and found Marner low behind all five Carolina skaters, where he scored off a forehand-to-backhand deke for his second goal in 3:50 and Vegas’ third in 4:06.
“‘Nabber’ just coming in on that pinch, just the patience and play he made to me to allow me to get around the net was phenomenal,” Marner said.
Marner’s third goal came off another breakaway. He got loose past Alexander Nikishin, took a pass from Hertl, skated into the right circle and made it 4-0 with a far-side slap shot that went in off Andersen’s blocker at 16:52.
Bussi stopped his penalty shot early in the third to keep it a 4-0 game.
“I’m thinking we need to score that and I’m not lying to you because they came back and scored four,” Tortorella said. “I’m thinking we need another one just to keep on going.”
Martinook made it 4-1 at 7:03, cashing in on a strong forecheck by Seth Jarvis before getting hit from behind by Cole Smith.
“I just think we needed something good to happen,” Martinook said.
Hall cut the deficit to 4-2 at 7:29. Sebastian Aho stole the puck from McNabb in the offensive zone and from below the right circle sent a backhanded pass across to Hall, who scored from the far post.
Staal made it 4-3 at 7:42, scoring from the lower part of the left circle on a deflection of Jaccob Slavin’s shot off the left-wing half-wall.
Carolina also scored three goals on consecutive shots in the third period of Game 2 on Thursday.
Svechnikov tied it 4-4 at 18:18, scoring a power-play goal with Bussi pulled for the extra skater to make it a 6-on-4 situation. After the puck went to the net and got loose, Carolina forward Nikolaj Ehlers was pushed in as Svechnikov found it in the slot and shoved it into the net.
“I’ve experienced a lot of games in playoffs. I haven’t experienced one like this,” Tortorella said. “We could do nothing wrong in the second period and probably did everything wrong in the third period.”
But the game didn’t end there. It continued for 25 minutes and 38 seconds of overtime, until Theodore did the right thing, got the bounce and the reward.
“Not how we drew it up,” Vegas forward William Karlsson said, “but we’ll take it.”
NOTES: Carolina forward William Carrier left the game in the second period with an upper-body injury and did not return. Brind’Amour did not have an update on his status. … The Hurricanes lost in overtime for the first time in the playoffs this season (6-1). … McNabb played with a full cage because of facial injuries he sustained in the first period of Game 2, when he was struck in the face by an Ehlers slap shot. The defenseman played 35:47, finished with two assists, including the setup for Theodore’s winner, and was plus-3.
A high-speed pursuit that began near Battle Mountain ended with an arrest west of Elko after troopers used a tire deflation device to slow a fleeing driver who later ran from his vehicle, authorities said.
On Thursday, June 4, 2026, around 1:30, a Nevada Highway Patrol trooper observed a white Toyota Camry traveling in excess of the posted speed limit near Battle Mountain in Lander County. When the trooper attempted to stop the vehicle, it accelerated to 116 mph. The Camry began passing on the outside shoulder, and the pursuit was terminated in the interest of public safety.
At 2 p.m., another trooper observed the Camry near Carlin on Interstate 80 as it exited via the Central Carlin off-ramp. The vehicle accelerated and traveled west on Chestnut Street, then went south on State Route 278 toward Eureka. The Camry traveled down a mine access road off State Route 278, and the trooper lost visual contact. Additional troopers responded and attempted to locate the Camry along the mine access road but were unsuccessful.
At 3:02 p.m., the vehicle was observed traveling northbound on State Route 278 while being pursued by the Eureka County Sheriff’s Office and Carlin Police Department. Troopers then pursued the Camry on Interstate 80 eastbound from Carlin as it traveled 115 mph.
Troopers successfully deployed a tire deflation device, also known as a Stop Stick, as the vehicle entered the Carlin Tunnel. The Camry slowed to about 80 mph after the left front tire tread separated from the rim. The vehicle continued eastbound on Interstate 80 toward Elko and slowed to 20 mph.
The driver exited the moving vehicle near mile marker 297, about one mile west of the West Elko (State Route 535) interchange, and the vehicle came to rest in the center median. The driver ran south across the eastbound travel lanes and entered the ranching area south of Interstate 80.
For the next 30 minutes, law enforcement pursued the male suspect on foot through various terrain west of the city of Elko. At 3:48 p.m., the suspect was taken into custody without incident.
David Basil Mercer was booked into the Elko County Jail on charges of basic speed, 41+ mph over the posted speed limit; reckless driving; evade, elude or fail to stop; resisting a public officer; using or being under the influence of a controlled substance; possession of a controlled substance; and DUI.
Nevada Highway Patrol thanked its partner agencies, including the Eureka County Sheriff’s Office, Carlin Police Department, Elko Police Department, Elko County Sheriff’s Office, and the Parole and Probation Division of the Nevada State Police.
-
Milwaukee, WI1 minute agoMilwaukee police respond to apparent street takeover on city’s south side
-
Atlanta, GA8 minutes agoSlain grandmother Margaret Swan remembered at Sunday vigil
-
Minneapolis, MN11 minutes agoRobbinsdale police chase ends with driver arrested after hitting fence in Minneapolis
-
Indianapolis, IN16 minutes agoSaints blank Indianapolis in series finale
-
Pittsburg, PA23 minutes ago
‘Nonsense’: Country singer hits back with real reason why show was cancelled
-
Augusta, GA26 minutes agoAugusta church honors gun violence victims during Wear Orange Weekend
-
Washington, D.C31 minutes agoStorm Team4 Forecast: Mild start to workweek before heating up
-
Cleveland, OH38 minutes agoDiane J. Scharnhorst Obituary – Mayfield Heights, OH
