Glen Canyon Institute (GCI) was founded in 1996 as a charitable
501(c)3 nonprofit organization with the mission of restoring a healthy
Colorado River through Glen Canyon. Leading the movement to restore
this uniquely beautiful place, Glen Canyon Institute immediately began
work to conduct scientific studies on the impacts of Glen Canyon Dam,
and compiled the results in the Citizen's Environmental Assessment
(CEA), which was released in 2001.
Around that same time, a series of low-runoff years began dropping
reservoir levels at Lake Powell significantly, reaching elevation
3555, down 145 feet and only 33% of full, on April 8, 2005. The
shrinking reservoir exposed more than 40 miles of the mainstem
Colorado and San Juan Rivers, and hundreds of miles of the
Glen’s 125 major side canyons. The natural restoration of Glen
Canyon is now occurring rapidly.
Our generation has been given a miraculous second chance to witness
Glen Canyon and take part in the restoration of one of our
nation’s greatest natural treasures. Glen Canyon Institute is
working to protect the revealed landscape of Glen Canyon and ensure
that the restoration will continue.
