Opposition/Supporters

Opposers

• basically fighting for preservation of the Colorado River ecosystem and its species
• Dam would change patterns of erosion and sediment deposition

• archaeological sites once protected by sandbars would become exposed to erosion and ultimately destruction

Navajo Indians: opposed the dam because it would flood their sacred religious land, forcing them to adapt to new conditions and new ways of farming and herding, or face relocation
Sierra Club: Originally fought hard to stop the construction of the Echo Park Dam, which they won, insisting that Glen Canyon would be a better site and they would not oppose that, until they say the beauty of Glen Canyon it was too late
Council of Conservationists: Fought to prevent the construction of the Echo Park Dam
National Park Service: opposed building dams inside national monuments. The purpose of the NPS was to "conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects . . . and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations." In 1954 they accepted the dam would be build and began fighting to protect Rainbow Bridge and build protective measures.
National Parks Association: argued that the Park Service and the BOR had not considered all the threats to Rainbow Bridge
Living Rivers: nonprofit organization empowering the movement to instill a new ethic of achieving ecological restoration, balancing meeting human needs. They work to restore inundated river canyons, wetlands and the delta, repeal antiquated laws which represent the river's death sentence, reducce water and energy use and their impacts on the river, and recruit constituents to aid in reviving the Colorado. Their solution is to decommission the Glen Canyon Dam.


Supporters

Secretary of Interior: Steward Udall- under Kennedy administration- denied funding for protective measures against the destruction of the sacred monument-his brother Morris Udall- Arizona congressman also enthusiastic supporter
Bureau of Reclamation: goal- to water the arid west-In charge of choosing a location for the dam and providing a workforce
Community: much of the community of the lower basin states wants to secure their water rights from the river