Thoughtful book details Glen Canyon 'resurrection'

"RESURRECTION: GLEN CANYON AND A NEW VISION FOR THE AMERICAN WEST," by Annette McGivney, Braided River, 174 pages, $29.95.

For the nature lover or even just the curious reader, "Resurrection" is a book that won't easily be put down.

It's fascinating, both visually and in the written text. The book tells the story of Glen Canyon and how its historic channels were flooded more than 50 years ago as part of a federal campaign to bring water to dry Western cities.

Because of drought, parts of the canyon are now re-emerging from beneath murky water. And author Annette McGivney and photographer Bill McKibben give compelling arguments for why water levels in nearby Lake Powell should remain low so as to protect the "rebirth" that has occurred in Glen Canyon.

They also call for the canyon to be protected as a national park.

"So many things are uncertain in this life," writes McGivney. "We truly do not know what tomorrow will bring until it arrives. But I know this: Glen Canyon is alive. The hearth of Southwest canyon country is beating through every new bud, every returning songbird, every resurrected stream, and every resuscitated spring."

In the pages of the book, you'll learn how and why the Glen Canyon Dam was built. You'll see pictures illustrating how much water levels have gone down and what old monuments have resurfaced.

McGivney also tells personal stories of traveling to Lake Powell and the meandering channels of Glen Canyon. One story is about a ride she took in her canoe and how it was scraping on the tops of dead cottonwood trees once covered in water.

She writes: "The tops of dead cottonwood trees that once thrived in a spectacularly rich riparian wilderness scratched my kayak like long, bony fingers. I was in a graveyard."

At the end of this book, the author gives a step-by-step guide for how people can protect Glen Canyon. And the details of seven hikes in the areas are also included.

Either way, no matter your view on Glen Canyon and whether it should be preserved or not, this is a book that will capture your attention. It is thoughtfully written and the images of Glen Canyon and Lake Powell are spectacularly interesting.

E-mail: nwarburton@desnews.com