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Re-Operation of Dams and Projects to Protect the Environment Grand Canyon Flood for Environmental Restoration (Arizona) The first purposeful controlled flood in American history conducted solely for environmental restoration took place from Glen Canyon Dam in March 1996 through the Grand Canyon. The results were the culmination of the work of many partners. including federal. state. and local entities, Indian tribes, river runners, power users, and environmentalists. The seven-day simulated spring flood worked largely as scientists had predicted, helping to rejuvinate the natural Grand Canyon environment by restoring beach and species habitat. Sand bar volumes increased an average of 53 percent along with a 20 percent increase in backwater habitats for endangered fish. Detailed monitoring of the Canyon conditions continue. Scientists expect periodic flood, perhaps every five to ten years. The revised Glen Canyon Dam operation demonstrates that we can operate large dams for environmental purposes as well as water capture and power generation. San Francisco Bay-San Joaquin Delta Water Agreements (California) . The San Francisco Bay-Delta, the vast estuary east of San Francisco at which the fresh water of the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers meets the salt water of the Bay, is the lynch pin of water supply for more than 20 million people. Many of California's major industries, including agriculture, ranching, and fishing, rely on water from the delta. In the 19th Century, the region sheltered a stunning variety offish and wildlife, and still today, even in a much diminished state, it provides unique habitat for more than 50 native fish species and millions of migratory birds, including a number listed as endangered or threatened. But it was evident by the 1980's that numerous fish species in the area had begun to decline dangerously, leading to more limited water project operations and less reliable water supply for all water users. These mounting problems set off a decade of bitter legal and political struggle within the state and inside the federal government -- just as they had for the preceding 150 years -- and threatened to paralyze water supply reliability. But as a statewide drought lengthened and acute problems began to develop, the Clinton Administration and the State of California, in coordination with the many stakeholder groups, developed the Bay-Delta Accord. This 1994 agreement pledges to find a comprehensive, ecosystem-wide approach to meeting the long-neglected environmental needs of the region while preserving adequate water supply and quality for millions of Californians. Flaming Gorge Dam Seasonal Flows for the Environment (Utah) Significant testing of new operational criteria is under way throughout the Colorado River system, not just at Glen Canyon Dam. At Flaming Gorge Dam along the Green River on the Utah/Wyoming border, Reclamation has been testing seasonally adjusted steady flows the past five years to benefit endangered fish species. Navajo Dam Seasonal Flows for Endangered Fish (New Mexico, San Juan River) At Navajo Dam along the New Mexico/Colorado border, Reclamation recently concluded a four-month test of very low winter flows to conserve water in storage to support high spring flows that mimic the historic, pre-darn conditions for the fish. The goal for such operations is to