Brouhaha Over Bush Era Water Policy

"The behind-the-scenes skirmish, which took place just days before President George W. Bush left the White House, highlights the sort of challenges Interior Secretary Ken Salazar will face in his new position. While Salazar declined to comment specifically on the Grand Canyon case because it is the subject of an ongoing legal battle, he said in an interview yesterday that he would emphasize 'the need to have sound science in all decision making in the Department of Interior.'

'Science should not be shoved under the table in order to deal with special interests that are knocking at the door,' said Salazar, adding that he will be looking at several last-minute decisions made by Bush before he left office. 'My point of view is, nothing is sacrosanct in terms of being reexamined.'

The federal government has spent about $100 million studying water flows on the Colorado River, and the studies indicate that the ecosystem would benefit from occasional short bursts of massive amounts of water along with more regular flows during the day and night. This pattern would mimic the river's natural fluctuations and deposit sediment on canyon beaches while also sustaining fish populations."