From Deseret News archives:
High flow: Glen Canyon Dam water release to move sediment downstream
Balance.
For the hundreds of archaeological sites on or near the river. For the delicate ecosystem beneath the water's surface. For recreation and habitat along its shore. For generating power at the point where the Colorado slips from beneath the 710-foot dam. For resource conservation below the dam.
Balance.
It's a word that pops up frequently as scientists, biologists, park service officials, Native American tribal leaders and officials with the Bureau of Reclamation and Department of Interior all try to decide what's best for the river and riparian zones south of the dam.
As recently as last Friday, the scales tipped in favor of final approval for what the BOR is careful to say is a "high-flow" experiment not a flood that starts at the dam. For 60 hours beginning this morning, 41,000 cubic feet of water per second will flow from the dam's power plant, or pin stocks, and jet tubes.
Similar experiments took place in 1996 and 2004. This week's high-flow release will gradually raise the level of the river by at least four feet in areas closer to the dam, which was completed in 1966.
Slowly, over several days, the river's level will return to normal. Then it will be time to start studying whether the experiment worked.
The goals are many. The monitoring and research will go on for months.
People like Scott Rogers, a fisheries biologist with the Arizona Game and Fish Department's research branch, want to know about effects like fish displacement due to the release of so much water at once. Researchers have been tagging fish, mostly rainbow trout, trying to get an estimate of their numbers. Then they'll track fish movements after the experiment.
"The fisheries look good right now," Rogers said while on a 15-mile boat ride Tuesday from Lee's Ferry to the base of the dam.
But outfitters and anglers have opposed the timing of the experiment, which will greatly increase the Colorado's velocity, raising fears that fish will disappear, at least for a while. Rogers said those fears are probably more based in perception than reality.
Recent comments
nice page
Alee | Sept. 10, 2009 at 10:12 p.m.
Actually you have it all wrong. "gotta love it" It's not that we want...
Anonymous | Aug. 14, 2008 at 6:11 p.m.
Make Lake Powell bigger.....are you that dumb???? I launched the day...
river runner | April 17, 2008 at 11:52 a.m.
- Utes prepare to go bowling 6:15 a.m.
- Unbeaten BYU takes trip to Logan 6:14 a.m.
- Wildcats dangerous foe for Utes 6:04 a.m.
- Flash get dramatic win over D-Fenders 6:01 a.m.
- All-MWC football awards 5:57 a.m.
- Deseret News Ms. Volleyball 2009 5:48 a.m.
- 5A All-State volleyball teams 5:14 a.m.
- 4A All-State volleyball teams 5:14 a.m.
- 3A volleyball All-State teams 5:14 a.m.
- 2A All-State teams 5:14 a.m.
- 2 citations issued at Y.-U. game
- BYU says Hall incident resolved
- Max Hall: a fixture in rivalry lore
- Witness: Mitchell wanted attention
- 'Grandfamilies' a growing trend
- MWC '09 season in review
- Mitchell called intelligent, controlling
- Daughter: Mitchell fed me my pet
- Find joy in life, Bishop Burton says
- Jazz ready to be without Harpring
- Hall mouths off about hate of Utah
906 - Cougars beat Utes in overtime
483 - Hall reprimanded by MWC
404 - Max Hall issues apology
387 - Hall's pain reflects self-betrayal
349 - Utes won't respond to Hall
276 - BYU says Hall incident resolved
238 - 2 citations issued at Y.-U. game
163 - BYU is champion of the state
143 - Religion in politics is tiresome
129
My husband was teaching his 6th-grade class in Salt Lake last year when...
lets crucify someone who was angry his mother got spit on the death penalty...
I will vote for him.
Impeach the judges that set these low bonds.Make them accountable,provided...
As a employee of Natures Way I can say that most of us will miss working for...
Max called a spade a spade here. He shouldn't have done it in the way he...
BYU is going to crucify someone who was angry his family was attacked by...
He apologized, he apologized, he apologized. Way to cast the first stone.
any journalist who uses inflamatory phrases such as "hole war" has no right...
Morgan is amazing and would be one of the greatest Congresspersons. He...
Only two citations? What did they have for security at the game, a meter maid?

