2007 Grand Canyon History Symposium David L. Wegner Wegner is President and Principal Scientist at Ecosystem Management International, Inc., and consults internationally on dam mitigation and removal. With a background in fisheries biology, for 14 years he was Program Manager for the Bureau of Reclamation's Glen Canyon Environmental Studies program, and oversaw the 1996 experimental flood release from Glen Canyon Dam, the first large-scale use of a dam for environmental purposes. He is also a co-founder of the Glen Canyon Institute, an organization dedicated to restoring a healthy Colorado River through Glen Canyon. Presentation Abstract... John Wesley Powell: A Dream Unrealized for the Colorado River:   A great deal has been written about John Wesley Powell's explorations of the West and the Colorado River. Most writings explore his adventures and resultant activities in Washington, D.C. Powell had a vision and a dream for the West, a vision that he based on the concept of developing a Western agricultural society that had balance between available water and suitable land. Powell's belief was that a sustainable relationship could be developed between Western expansion and the watershed. Instead of Major Powell's dream of a sustainable West, a plumbing system dependent on inaccurate water forecasts, dams, and economically inappropriate water distribution systems today define the Western landscape. As populations continue to grow, the constraints of limited water will lead to increasing conflicts between the new and the old West. John Wesley Powell's dream of a society living within its means has been shattered. Today, besides the traditional agricultural water users, cities, boaters, and fishermen, conservationists and Indian tribes are fighting over a diminishing supply of water. What would the West look like if Congress and the President had followed John Wesley Powell's recommendations? Would it be any better off? This presentation will address the atmosphere that existed in Washington and the country in the late 1800s and explore the resulting history of Western water development and conflict. An alternative scenario based on the Powell recommendations will be articulated and discussed as to whether Powell's dream has merit in today's world and perhaps offers a roadmap for the future.