The River Is Warming.The Fish Are At Risk.Sign the Petition.
Urge the Department of the Interior to continue seasonal cool-mix operations from Glen Canyon Dam — protecting Lees Ferry's world-class trout fishery.
Join hundreds of anglers, guides, and community members
The Issue
60 Years of Cold, Clear Water — Now at Risk
Lees Ferry supports one of America's premier wild trout fisheries. For more than 60 years the cold, clear releases from Glen Canyon Dam have sustained a nationally recognized recreational fishery that supports guides, hotels, restaurants, outfitters, and tourism throughout northern Arizona.
Declining Lake Powell elevations have fundamentally changed release temperatures. Current projections indicate that summer temperatures may exceed biological thresholds for trout survival while simultaneously creating conditions that allow invasive smallmouth bass to reproduce downstream.
Reclamation used seasonal cool-mix operations in 2024 and 2025 to suppress these thermal conditions and has documented that those operations prevented smallmouth bass spawning during those years.
The Solution
Seasonal Cool-Mix Operations
The proposal does not require additional annual water releases.
- Route a portion of scheduled releases through the River Outlet Works
- Blend colder deep water with penstock releases
- Maintain downstream temperatures below biological thresholds during the highest-risk period
- Resume normal power generation once temperatures naturally decline
Why It Matters
Without Intervention
Trout mortality risk increases.
The Lees Ferry fishery could require years to recover following a major thermal event.
Local businesses dependent upon fishing tourism would suffer substantial economic losses.
Lees Ferry generates an estimated $20–30 million annually for the local economy through guided fishing, lodging, outfitters, and tourism — all at risk.
Take Action
Add Your Name. Protect the Fishery.
Sign the petition urging the Department of the Interior and power authorities to implement seasonal cool-mix operations from Glen Canyon Dam.