Newly discovered damage to part of the dam holding back America's second-largest reservoir has people who rely on the Colorado River worried about their ability to get the water they need.
A set of four tubes known as the"river outlet works," pictured on Nov. 2, 2022, could soon be the only way for water to make it through Glen Canyon Dam. Recently-discovered damage to those tubes has raised questions about their role going forward.
The dam is a giant concrete monolith between towering walls of desert red rock in just south of the Utah-Arizona state line. Inside it, where the bottom of the dam meets the Colorado River, there are four huge pipes. "In nearly 60 years of operation at Glen Canyon Dam, we didn't need to address the issues that we're facing now," saysWater managers are now worried because of recently discovered damage was discovered inside those important tubes. It's caused by tiny air bubbles that pop so hard, they can rip away chunks of pipe.
The dam itself remains structurally sound, and federal water managers plan to repair the pipes late this year or early next. They have not yet offered an estimate of how much it will cost. Zach Frankel, executive director of the Utah Rivers Council, says fixing them doesn't solve the problem, and much bigger changes are needed.
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