Washington -- Interior Department officials ignored key
scientific findings when they limited water flows in the Grand Canyon to
optimize generation of electric power there, risking damage to the ecology of
the spectacular landmark, according to documents obtained by the Washington
Post.
A Jan. 15 memo written by Grand Canyon National Park Supt. Steve
Martin suggests that the department produced a flawed environmental assessment
to defend its actions against environmentalists.
The Grand Canyon Trust, an advocacy group, has sued
Interior for reducing the flow of water from Glen Canyon Dam at night, when
consumer demand for electricity is low, on the grounds that the policy hurts
imperiled fish species and erodes the canyon's beaches.
"The government's
brief as presented continues to misinterpret key scientific findings related to
the humpback chub, status of downstream resources in Grand Canyon, and the need
for the secretary to acknowledge [National Park Service] authorities and
responsibilities to protect resources under [National Park Service]
administration," Martin wrote in a memo that the Post obtained from the group
Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility.
Mike Snyder, the park
service's intermountain regional director, said Tuesday that he concurred with
the superintendent's analysis and had tried to petition Interior's top officials
to reexamine the Colorado water experiment.
The issue highlights what Interior Secretary Ken Salazar
will face as he evaluates Bush administration rules.