Water Over the Dam

Dave Wegner's career with the Bureau of Reclamation seemed to be at peak flow. He had no idea it was about to run dry.

Comments (0) By Michael Kiefer Thursday, Mar 27 1997

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Twice in the past month, Wegner has shared the podium with Brower to talk about Lake Powell and the Grand Canyon. And though Wegner does not share Brower's dire prediction of doom--"It would take several years in a row of high water"--he does think the dam will inevitably be breached, and the sooner the better.

"At some point, dams are going to wear out and you're going to have to take them down," he says. "We did the best science that we could, but any one of us would say if you want to restore that river to what it was, the best thing you could do is take out that dam. We weren't allowed to ask that question. Today it's the logical extension."

The river cut its mile-deep channel without the interference of man and his issues.

Dave Sabo of WAPA sums it up best.
"What you've got down there in geologic time is a temporary obstruction in the middle of the river and not the first one," he says. "All we're trying to do is satisfy the human ego. Eventually, Mother Nature will take care of anything placed in the middle of the river.