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Releasing cool water protects fish in the Grand Canyon. That comes at cost to hydropower
Officials say the seasonal releases could prevent spawning of smallmouth bass and other predators, but utilities warn replacement power may cost about $25 million.
- Glen Canyon Dam in northern Arizona would implement a 'cool mix flow' releasing cold water from deep in its reservoir to protect the humpback chub, a threatened fish, with the Bureau of Reclamation expected to announce a decision within weeks.
- Lake Powell, just 23% full after decades of overuse and climate-driven evaporation, faces record low inflow this summer; the worst snowpack on record for the Colorado River Basin prompted the proposal as seven U.S. states, tribal nations and Mexico struggle to share dwindling resources.
- Prior cool water releases in 2024 and 2025 successfully prevented spawning of non-native predatory fish, while water temperatures are projected to exceed 60 degrees Fahrenheit by mid-June, shattering 2022 records and enabling predators to spawn without intervention.
- Utilities that buy hydropower oppose the releases, citing millions in costs to purchase alternative energy; cool water releases in 2024 cost $19 million in replacement energy, with this year's cost anticipated around $25 million, straining residential bills.
- Fisheries operator Dave Foster has warned customers booking trips after mid-June that he might cancel if water grows too warm, while manual predator removal downstream could cost more than $20 to $30 million per year without a permanent solution.
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Associated Press News+10 Reposted by 10 other sources
Releasing cool water protects fish in the Grand Canyon. That comes at cost to hydropower
Federal officials are considering cool water releases for the third consecutive year at Glen Canyon Dam in Northern Arizona this summer to safeguard the humpback chub, a federally protected fish.
·United States
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Total News Sources12
Leaning Left4Leaning Right0Center7Last UpdatedBias Distribution64% Center
Bias Distribution
- 64% of the sources are Center
64% Center
L 36%
C 64%
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