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<br />FEATURE STORY . ,
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<br />It Worked
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<br />6p~<
<br />y-ty
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<br />The Department's testjlooding of the Grand Canyon 'worked
<br />brilliantly' and established a model for restoring degraded river
<br />ecosystems across the American landscape.
<br />
<br />Carrie Carnes
<br />
<br />
<br />^ _imulah',l.qlrillll: 1111011.
<br />n~I,~..~.:d frulll .;I,-n Callynn
<br />O.nl throu,;h tlw. (;r.ulIl
<br />C..anwm. rli~rihUI<'d tlln~ nf
<br />IIedlfT14!nl fnlnl th,~ CnkJradfl
<br />River, restoring erodc:d
<br />bead1ei, creating new
<br />endangemd lfleCies
<br />h.bitall. and prumnling Hill
<br />1I:"",,1h01 ('Ilantii
<br />and wilrlUfr..
<br />
<br />~WhilllU' IUl\" fUllnel is
<br />~all~ llllill~ l:l(lnlnrdinil~'. ~
<br />_Vt< ~r"mlilrv Il.Ibhln.
<br />""1l' ;;UITl'!IlI ~r Ihili IlVl~nt
<br />l:lI;,,,,,:dli. I (hink. lw,'r th,-
<br />nUJl<l f1lllintilltir.hhpc:llof
<br />our sl11Hnfsl"il:nli",s.-
<br />
<br />All. rrliultufthr><l:\'t:n-,!il\
<br />C'.ontrollC"l1 noodinll:. th.'n: .
<br />are .houl II thinl mort'
<br />hto..dw.ro IInd l'anrl ban;
<br />Ih"IlI"'lfllllllll:ri~rllnrl
<br />CM.n~.n.
<br />
<br />-1,llukin':::lllh",:anmn;In.1
<br />Illokin~ ill ,,'h,'re ...~. "'llnt~d
<br />the Il8nd d~fIOliitcd. il did
<br />exactl... what..-e wanlM illn
<br />fto," Ii-~r~ Ollrirl Wr.~Clr.
<br />manaJ!:l:r of I~ 11':5t flood
<br />pmjl~'1 ror lilt: Run:au f,r
<br />ftr.clllllliltlnn. "\l'chil~'
<br />mon: IIl"Jll'ht:ll III"'" lhan "1'
<br />had 11111"" ....r..::kli 1l~. Thl'
<br />chalk,,~' 110'" II! III ~' ho"
<br />lo11ltlh.~ ,,'i11lalll.-
<br />
<br />t;/M C.aR)'on thlnl. IDCtJI.M nmr PnpI. Arizona. i.~
<br />lluo ~Itm#! tifllu' l:01amdo Ril1!r St~ Pmjf'Ct.
<br />Thr dnm i.~ 7In fN'llrul/! and 1.560 fl!f'I lri(t.h. 41 ,tU'
<br />f'.'Cp('rinu!nls nmxinlllRl di.<<:horgc, Imwr jivln IJu.o
<br />dams t'e$f!rvoir, Lakr /'nu:dl. was reteased lhroutJI
<br />Ihl'! dams eiBflJ-fool dinmeler hDIlow jet ~ubeJ at
<br />4.').000 r.uhi€.fp.eI. ,,".recrmd, ThGl role IW! heldfor
<br />.~rVM days. and then gmduaUy decn:tued.
<br />
<br />In addition In the shl':cr VfIlunw.l1r hlllldl "I't'.lIlinn.
<br />IlmjecllOf:i~ntill1J; are "urpriwd III lhe: l!llt~:dr
<br />distribution or sedimenl. Based on tlata collected hy
<br />Reelamalinn and U.S. Gt:oSogical Survey 5<:lenlisU at
<br />River Mile 68, above Tanner Rapid. sedimenl
<br />awcption bepn about 20 hnUflll aner the ,tarl of
<br />the release.
<br />
<br />
<br />Satellile photOgraphs ofLowerSodd~ Beoch Q.I River Mile 41 indicate the size a/the fHoadl befon' alld after
<br />,hI' CORltolledjlooding. To gain hi&Jlcr sediment stability. thejloodins was turned off gradually at>!'r afplt'
<br />days. olwlOing the beaches to dmin slowly. ThiJ con.~ributed signifu:ondy to the volume of lIew and P.xpaMf'd
<br />ht'oches. PMtos caurte5)' of u.s. Geologicol Survey
<br />
<br />"EilChty I.........ul "r lh,. III"'"~ l....".h,.~ ..,..... ,.",';,1,.,1
<br />,,-ilhin Ihl' rirl!1 0(.(1 hnuo< or IllI' ;Irliridal n,....lillj:...
<br />""YlI Wc~II.~r. ~^nd all n~' dl':llo"It~ ..-,'.... in 1,1;".1'
<br />,,'Uhin 100 hll"Il'.~ 1'1... ...~"ull.. 11"';111 Ih,,1 rulll....
<br />l:lIntml~r1 nOOflinj! "(luM bt~ ar'I'1I111111i~11I'11 III
<br />r,....,:rrla)'l'.
<br />
<br />The now .11I(l1'.n'ah~d numenlUli lll.fl!:" h.,d;"-lI.h'r
<br />I:h.nnel" thaI r'OUhlllCrvc all hahital r..r th"
<br />hUlllllhad; dlllh llnd olher nati..,' ,'nrlaIlJtI'n"l n..h
<br />"IH:I'iI~jl. lkliloratinn hr Imr'kwah'r ;to'a" "".'
<br />"l!llf"dllll~. ,',-i,I,'nll"'''" Ih" jun,.ti"l1 ..ith Ih..
<br />UII'" C;ulelroulu mwr, ,,'hie~h ill f",rhalb' 11u- k.',-
<br />hl'll.illll an~a. .
<br />
<br />In lhe fin<llila~: or tl\l~ no.n.l. ur;wnil. 1I\;11h'r '>a.'
<br />Iinl'll fmm 1111' rln'r 1M'!;l ami ''.I1rri''11 '1"".Il~lo';lIu.
<br />.\rter two daYII, thl' lI~anir' dehrl.. 1"\l'l~ h"Jt;Ul III
<br />dn'll. Th.: n"II.~rial. whil~h ili ilOl..,rl""r lu 111l'
<br />hinlaKir.-1 ~'lilem. ill t'''IM~r'ted 10 IN' in"IIrjlO!"l'I,',1
<br />illto the nt'Wlv rdonned had:..."I.:r.. ;111<1111;1,...1",,, I..
<br />wovide a srikt: IIf nUlritlnts ror prm111l'lil.Ih'.
<br />
<br />The now" r'mppcd peen all!llt<~ (r:/odo'''mm.. IInd
<br />uther aquatiC' Illanlll and it willlak,' ",'n.ntl nUllllhll
<br />10 qllantlr}' lhe i01I'04e:I'1I1 thl': ri\'l'r'.. ruuof hil_"".
<br />1It't;:alllW or Ih,: Iillrin:;: lIod IIlIlIln,,'r :C.-"..-", """""11"
<br />alld the~ 1,lanlJ;' n~j"Vt:naled l\;th;lal~." 'Iuid.
<br />re<~O\'tlry ht .:","';(':11'11.
<br />
<br />Thr inWal cvalualion round Iilll,' IIq:-;ltin' 11111'11'"
<br />lrl.:ndangered birds, Cish. amt ~n;liI~ Ih;ll Ii". in
<br />the c.anron. Rivr.niidl': hird habilat~ ...,'ro' tI"t
<br />iOlpart~rl and nelitlng Shollhll:onlilll'" il'"
<br />hlolQp;irJllly ~:heduled.
<br />
<br />FI..".s ''IInll' Ihnllljl:h n.~lIlint;: an~a" Olr II... Soulh"l'llt
<br />U'i!lnw nvrall'ht'r. hut did nol n'lll'h 111,' \,'wl <If lllO'
<br />"'~"II1'f'.t~;. Scir'olisb do nol ~!tIH..t.t IIlHjur ~ln"'llIntl
<br />"hanlre" 10 lhe nl:~1 tllllnds. The' hir,1ll "."n'
<br />e"Il(:Ctcd In hegin nejl1in~ hy lhl~ ,,1111 fir "I'cll. ~u
<br />negative impacts wen'_ round fnr 11.1hl .'a~h~" aud
<br />peregrine ralcons.
<br />
<br />The river'" tmut fishery appears t1n~llllll~el. Trolll
<br />"l::re obsenocd 10 be feeding heartily on the
<br />nutrients Iirted InlO lhe river by the discharge.
<br />n'hennen "..ere still catching troul after lilt: Rood,
<br />and llCientlsU ohserved troul of all jbN-. indicalln,
<br />lhat spawnlnp: ,""&>I not affectt."I.
<br />
<br />Nllth"C ADlerir.an t'ullural sitCll alll"'llr 10 1m\!'
<br />received little negative Impacl. Sc."(linll'lIts w,'",'
<br />d~rmsil.....d in Il(:\'ernl dntlnaKUo nl'"r "ilt~". TIll'
<br />Nalionall'ark Sen.;ce and eiKlll ADlI~rkall In<l;1I1I
<br />tribes will be meHlIurin(l: any dlred illlf'ilrls 11\"1'r Ihr
<br />nexl two months.
<br />
<br />"From all indicalions,lhls test worked hrillianlk-
<br />says Babbitt. ""The beaches and fipccir.... habllat i~
<br />the canyon appear 10 have been signmantl)'
<br />restared." A full analysis of Ihe results. efipeclally
<br />the blolosical dfeeu on wildlife lInd the
<br />implications far breeding patterns, ",.iII require
<br />several monthll.
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