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<br />
<br />f)avidWC'@lu,
<br />right, manager of
<br />theleSljlooding
<br />Jor lIle Bureau oj
<br />Reclalll(ltioll,
<br />explains scierltific
<br />€ffort.~ to evaluale
<br />Ihe tes/j/ood at
<br />IheAprilll news
<br />confenmce.
<br />Photo by TllIni
<br />f1eilerrulII
<br />
<br />S(>(,,,'/(I')' 8abbill1leld an April 11 news conJerl'IICe, ahove. to relea.H'
<br />IIw IlIitird fesullS (!(tlw CQlltrol/t'dj/QOding oJt/1(> Grand ('..anyolI.
<br />I'holO by Tami Ilrilf'fIlllrl
<br />
<br />"The rcsultsconfirmourCOIlI"ictionlhll!a nc.....era
<br />hils I)f'~un in lhe manitl\:clIwnl o( the Colorado River
<br />;<nlllhl' Grand Canyon." H;lhhiu MYS, ~With sound
<br />,dl'llCt\ we call Sll(:(','ssfully halallct' cn\ironmental
<br />,mdt'conomicn('('.ls."
<br />
<br />I'hl' floori W,IS the ft'dl'rat Ilovcrnmcnt's firsl a(tempt
<br />10 restort' 235 mllt'sof river environment
<br />dO\'"lls!ream from lh.. Glen Canvon Dam since it was
<br />('omp1cll'd ill 196:1. For morc tl;an thrt"c decades.
<br />ttw "jlt'falioll of thc darn-which provides pow(~r to
<br />"ix ,,'('st<'rn qal'~S- rrrimarHv rlllphasizcd hydro~
<br />,'kdri('l:""l1<,ration .
<br />
<br />1I"llh(~ darn ,11.-0 trill's 90 Ilcn,<'nl of tIlt' !le.linH~nl
<br />Illal "'0111.1 normalh fill'" into the Color/ula Rivt'r
<br />;IIHlthrough thl' Gr;lntl Can)"oll, depklinfl; lilt' sandy
<br />1"',l<"ht,~ in the eill1)"',n ami impa.-:ling {'ndangn,~d
<br />"'p,,"i('~. Ii", ('\'('k~, an.1 hahitat~.
<br />
<br />.\ftn so many Y<';1r~ of (;(m{",ntralin~ on water
<br />('<lllturt and \Iower f!;eneration, this lest is;') h)'lllhol
<br />"follr nCI<"l'onlmitlll"lllto makinjilenvironmenlal
<br />restoration (Ill elju.11 pari in tilt' ....-al<'r '~lluation of
<br />tIlt' West:' says llllbhiU.
<br />
<br />The discharge reached It maximum of 45,000 cubic
<br />feet of water per second, the equivalent of 600.000
<br />gallons ofwatcr pI,r second, and maintained that
<br />level for S,'\'0n days. The dam releascd a tOLal of
<br />flSO,OOO acre. feet of water (rom Lake Powell
<br />betwecn March 26 and April 3, WeKTlCr says.
<br />The volumc raised the river almost 1.1 fcdin
<br />some areas
<br />
<br />The releas<, lowered lake Powell's level bv auout
<br />three anrl onc-hal{ feet, but Wegnersllys'spring
<br />runoff is expected to bring the lake's level 10
<br />within ,I fOOl of ,-,'herl' it was hcfon: thl: nood. At
<br />the other f'nd of tllP Grand Cunyon. Like Mead
<br />r<lse hy 2.6 (N't.
<br />
<br />Rabhitt I'stimales the cost of the project at $1.5
<br />million for reS(,ardl done during and immedi,llcJ~
<br />after the flood and ahout $2.5 million in lost
<br />capacily forgrneratillgclcctricity.
<br />
<br />Rabbill 6Ceslht~ project's success as an enCQuraging
<br />model for restoration across the American
<br />landscape. Controller! flooding at regular interval~
<br />eould significantly re~tore rivereeosystems th.1I
<br />
<br />have bee 11 degraded hy ria lI\ and hyd ro -t~ leetric
<br />generation operatiolls
<br />
<br />"Our science is now such that wr can rer'n"I\f' mono
<br />natural river nows ,,'ithoul rral sa('firi(T~ of po",.'r
<br />orwalercaplurc."lwsays.
<br />
<br />Ilabhitl elllphasizes the \,xecptional ('{)operation thilt
<br />made the experiment possihle. ~[t represents a
<br />valuanlt" consensus among diverse intNests groups,
<br />induding conservationists. American Inrliall trilws.
<br />and those who generatc and market electrie power:'
<br />h.~ sa\'s. "This historic effort could not hav.~ tak'~1l
<br />place' withollt their f'Hoperation. We an' partners in
<br />,'xptorinf!;newscientifieanrl p(Jliticalllmund:'
<br />
<br />C"rflt" Carnes i_~ a public affairs ,'/If'('itllist "I IIII'
<br />Hurt'nu oj Reclamlllioll /lI'adquurfNx ill
<br />Wa.,/tillgtoll. n.c.
<br />
<br />In!emet userselln find mure (Ietailed inftlrlllatioll
<br />on the flood ami it~ results 011 the World Witl<> \'i.'d,
<br />at htlp://""'.....usgs.gol' h~' clicking on the watl,r
<br />drop ieoll. Bureau or Iledamation information on
<br />theexperimcntisat http://phalltolll_ue.\Jshr.go\"
<br />
<br />Science, Inuenuity; and the River lIa"f'fJlIrf{"~)"fifSllUrr)"..Jarob~,~"lp1iellli'dltlfll~l{)-;;"'~Q;;f1t~S.
<br />. '0' _ Illf'. & 'all',ie SayIQT. Glen tall),",,1I /;'IIf!inmmenkd SImiles
<br />
<br />.. ,,,. ':"':':' '''~''''..'.,:.;;.1}.tr"\..'::'~:;~:.J: l
<br />From the pol~t'~f view -o(ioYn~ICf~~U~.t .I
<br />to un_derestim~t~ lhe.~j81!.ifi_({a,' ,~ . >." "",
<br />flood of the Grand Canro
<br />. ")">^,'" ...:.....,
<br />"It's or,e"o(;th~"m~t;~l,t
<br />hydroJogicaf:&cl~n~e8.k ~'r
<br />Andcl'8on<o( th-~'U;~: ~
<br />,,:,,;;,,;'::~~:'<':h ,
<br />MQre"llfln~i'25~~"';
<br />Inel '" . ' "sa,
<br />bo~ .
<br />geo
<br />evolution
<br />",:'W~
<br />~!~~
<br />,noh' ,tlie:;p~,!f~t~J~
<br />w o.o~uanu"
<br />......''''.,.~-:....'1.,
<br />expe.rin:1~.nL~'i.m,,\\W.t~,._,
<br />will atte!'1Pt:wan~r\a: '. . .
<br />questions regarding the conduct_and,eff , ';of the .
<br />"Beachillahltat-bUJldi . TesfFiOW;: r:,/.~_d~;:l,}.:\t."
<br />,- }_.:.:;~nt: ::~',~i~,;s,/;i~,~:.~,(;;~~,
<br />Among thelr.acflyltlea before;~~~~ffi.t!~ .
<br />[romth~ U,.S:Geo~og{cal~u~M~!Y12-l#"
<br />footba)~~sizerock~ In tlt~, r!~.~i}ldJW
<br />radio transmltters,"'After th('f~
<br />released I non-toxic red dye,'jnt(J,ibe n'~ Wilter&.,
<br />TIle fonner allowed them lO'.t~~~h'9"fW:~~",;t~
<br />rocks 'oI-'ere mOl'ed by the fl09.d,~~~th~,lj!~..rJ~~lit.
<br />track the flow patterns and path;~~,.~e:~.~J}
<br />sediment. ..
<br />
<br />
<br />Scientists from the Fish IUld Wildlife Service and
<br />National Biological Service IllIplanted computer
<br />microchips into humpback chubs and painted
<br />the backs of almost 200 Kanab alllbersnalls
<br />...,th nail polish.
<br />
<br />Glen Canyon Environmental Studies
<br />Beach/Habitat-Building Test Flow Primary Study Areas
<br />
<br />
<br />; ~~
<br />et - -1Jii'ro1ii.
<br />,
<br />
<br />I$;='
<br />
<br />~
<br />
<br />Department scientists also pinpointed the ibaitions
<br />of e\'cry rare bird nest in the canyon with the help
<br />of orhlting satellites and cv~ry beach of significant
<br />
<br />"
<br />
<br />--,,-..,---
<br />
<br />-.-......-------
<br />
<br />.~\,\ ,. ..-'~;.{~~~\::
<br />slze'.wwj'photographed andme8.sured by
<br />professional surveyors . ;":'1.
<br />Th~ continuing evaluatioii'al~'~lIlnclude low-
<br />tech publie assistance. TIlt~ Department will be
<br />handing out disposable cameras to river rafting
<br />guides this summer and ,asking them to adopt a
<br />beaeh and photograph It during their trip
<br />downriver. The photographs will help geologists
<br />detennine If the sand is staying in place or
<br />washing away.
<br />
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