Summary/Strong Response on “The Damnation of a Canyon”

By: Chad Jardine

I read the writing, “The Damnation of a Canyon”, by Edward Abbey. His essay focused on the down side of the Glen Canyon Dam that holds back Lake Powell. He argued that the majesty of the historic canyon is now only a memory, and that the past seems better then the present. Arguments for his opinion included cheaper recreation in the river rather than the lake, a sense of attachment to the river ecosystem, and a better variety of wildlife. Of course, Mr. Abbey gave arguments that were intended to take away any legitimate reasoning for the dam’s creation. He claimed that the dam’s flood controls would leave “bathtub rings” around the flooded canyon, and that would make it lose its pristine nature.
Edward Abbey also attacked the “wheelchair ethos of the wealthy”; stating how lazy visitors to the lake appear when they argue that the lake waters give added access to more people than before. His writings were very critical of supporters of the lake who believe the energy output of the dam is reason enough for the Glen Canyon Dam’s existence. This author’s rebuttal was one of hope for the future, citing the development of environmentally friendly technologies, such as solar, that could change humans’ dependence on the status quo of resources. However, I have a somewhat…different view.
Mr. Edward Abbey is an admitted, “…butterfly chaser, googly eyed bleeding heart and wild conservative” that has an absurd view of utopianism. His opinion couldn’t be more unrealistic. Without vital Lake Powell, Lake Mead, its counterpart reservoir, would only be at six percent capacity with the harsh reality of the recent drought we faced (and to a great extent, still face). Now I know some tree huggers love wildlife and the canyons they live in, but if you’re like me water is also pretty high on my list of needs. The unarguable truth is that without Lake Powell, and the rest of the many Colorado River reservoirs, human’s (which I consider the most important species of wildlife on earth) would be extremely thirsty right about now. Also, not only does Lake Powell dam up the Colorado, it provides water to the farmlands of states like California that in some cases produce half of this country’s food products-food, another important biggie.
Another argument that I wish to debunk is Mr. Abbey’s flawed opinion that Lake Powell has somehow diminished or destroyed the beauty of the former Glen Canyon. Now I’ve been to Lake Powell (along with Lake Mead, and Flaming Gorge) so don’t tell me I don’t know what I’m talking about. Unless you’re blind, I if I were to send you pictures of the lake, even at half full, I guarantee you it would make you proud to live in this great land called America. The area of land around that lake is indescribable. It makes you unimaginably glad to know God made that part of the world and that he gave mankind the tools to use it. It is a poetic tribute to see God’s work and then see he taught you his trade.
As you can probably tell I love Lake Powell. It is wonderful. I have a completely different view from that of Edward Abbey and his unintelligent friends. He complained that the dam is a waste-just an ugly chunk of concrete. But he couldn’t be more off the mark. When he says he finds the new environment unworthy and repulsive, I say he is wrong. When he says he wishes the Colorado River had never been dammed, I say damn that!