A Trip to Glen Canyon with the Water and Tribes Initiative

By Eric Balken

GCI Board member Scott Christiansen and WTI’s Daryl Vigil walk through the restoration zone in Davis Gulch

Earlier this spring, Glen Canyon Institute had the opportunity to lead a trip into the Glen with Matt McKinney and Daryl Vigil of the Water and Tribes Initiative, an organization with the goal of enhancing Tribal capacity and advancing sustainable water management in the basin through collaborative decision-making.

Daryl Vigil photo matches Cathedral in the Desert

The purpose of the trip was to take the WTI co-facilitators into Glen Canyon so they could experience the incredible restoration taking place in the canyons and begin a conversation about engaging Colorado River tribes in potential co-management of the expansive areas in Glen Canyon that are coming out of water.

Looking at a restored waterfall in 50 Mile Creek

Multiple tribes have ancestral connections to Glen Canyon, including the Hopi, Zuni, Paiute, Navajo, and Pueblo. Historically, tribes along the Colorado River were not included in creating water policy. In Glen Canyon specifically, multiple tribes lost ancestral lands, grazing land, farms, and orchards to the reservoir.

Daryl Vigil and Matt McKinney walk up 50 Mile Creek

As the reservoir recedes and these lands reemerge, GCI hopes that tribes play a key role in guiding the management of the new Glen Canyon. Stay tuned for more updates on GCI’s efforts to engage with Glen Canyon tribes and share their perspectives.

Daryl Vigil entering Cathedral in the Desert