Reclamation plans environmental high flow release from Glen Canyon Dam #ColoradoRiver

November 2012 High Flow Experiment via Protect the Flows
November 2012 High Flow Experiment via Protect the Flows

From Arizona Public Media (Zachary Ziegler):

Staring Monday, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation will increase the amount of Colorado River water Northern Arizona’s Glen Canyon Dam releases.

On a normal November day, the dam lets out no more than 9,000-cubic feet of Colorado River water each second.

But by Monday night, 37,500-cubic feet per second of Colorado River water will work its way downstream and through the Grand Canyon.

The release will last until Friday as part of an experiment to see whether high water flows could rebuild sandbars downstream, said Glen Knowles, who is with the Bureau of Reclamation.

This is the third year in a row a high flow release from the Glen Canyon happens and it appears to be working.

Knowles said bureau scientists are seeing an increase in fresh sediment showing up on sandbars and along the banks of the Colorado River downstream from Glen Canyon Dam.

More endangered/threatened species coverage here.

Leave a Reply