Lake Powell’s decline and Glen Canyon’s revival: A conversation at the Park City Library

PARK CITY, Utah – Author and journalist Zak Podmore will discuss his latest book, Life After Dead Pool, at the Park City Library on March 24. The event, hosted by the Friends of the Park City Library, will feature a presentation, Q&A session, and book signing.

Podmore, an environmental journalist and former Southern Utah reporter for The Salt Lake Tribune, has spent years covering public lands, water issues, and climate change. His book examines the decline of Lake Powell, the role of Glen Canyon Dam, and the unexpected ecological revival occurring in the region.

“What’s happened on Lake Powell over the last 25 years really breaks the mold,” Podmore said. “It’s a story about climate change that has led to a drought, which has drained Lake Powell to record low levels. But the effect of that has been an amazing ecological recovery in Glen Canyon.”

Lake Powell, a key water reservoir for the western United States, has receded significantly due to prolonged drought and structural challenges at Glen Canyon Dam. Podmore said the changing landscape presents both a crisis and an opportunity.

“It’s a really interesting time for Glen Canyon Dam and Glen Canyon itself,” he said. “The area became famous in the 1960s as a place that almost certainly would have been a national park had it not been flooded by Lake Powell. Since then, millions of people have visited for recreation, but in some circles, it’s still seen as an environmental mistake.”

As water levels have dropped, the impact on downstream states—California, Arizona, and Nevada—has grown more severe. “The lower Lake Powell gets, the harder and more dangerous it becomes to ensure that water can be delivered to the lower basin states, as well as northern Mexico,” Podmore said.

The situation has prompted calls for re-engineering Glen Canyon Dam. “Recently, those three lower basin states have called on the federal government to seriously consider redesigning or re-engineering the dam to avoid problems that arise at lower reservoir levels,” Podmore said. “That could mean allowing Lake Powell to get even lower than it has in recent years.”

Despite the crisis, Podmore said he has witnessed extraordinary ecological resurgence in Glen Canyon. “There are places where you can see the bathtub ring marking the high water mark from 1999, and below that, you can see 60-foot tall cottonwood trees growing next to beaver ponds, with frogs and fish swimming in them,” he said. “There’s a blanket of wildflowers on the ground and wild bees buzzing about—it feels like an incredibly healthy ecosystem.”

While nature is rebounding, infrastructure remains a challenge. Podmore noted that the dam’s hydropower intakes were dangerously close to shutting down in 2023. “If Lake Powell dips below the minimum power pool level, there will be no more hydropower generated at Glen Canyon Dam,” he said. “Boat ramps would become useless, and there would be serious concerns about delivering water downstream.”

One proposed solution is drilling tunnels at river level to release water when needed. “That would allow the Colorado River to recover in Glen Canyon ecologically while ensuring water can still be delivered downstream,” Podmore said.

His book also highlights the resilience of the region’s landscape. “It was very surprising to me,” he said. “I’d seen pictures from the 1950s of what an incredible place Glen Canyon was, but I never thought I’d see it with my own eyes. Cathedral in the Desert, a famous amphitheater and waterfall, was 200 feet underwater when I was a kid. Between 2021 and 2023, I was able to visit it many times. It was so hopeful to see how quickly nature recovers when given the chance.”

Podmore will also discuss the broader implications of the Colorado River’s future and the role communities can play.

“We’re all tied to this river in Utah,” he said. “Finding a more sustainable future involves not just building new infrastructure where needed, but also considering removing obsolete water infrastructure that no longer serves a useful purpose.”

During his presentation, Podmore will share a slideshow featuring images from his research trips to Lake Powell. “People will get a good sense of how the landscape is changing and what that means for the future of Glen Canyon,” he said.

The free event begins at 6 p.m. in the Santy Auditorium. A Q&A session and book signing will follow the presentation, along with dessert. Visit Zak’s website for more information.