U.S. Bureau of Reclamation decides against flooding Grand Canyon amid drought
LAS VEGAS (AP) — The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation decided not to send water rushing through the Grand Canyon this month to rebuild beaches for campers and sandbars for fish because of persistent drought, officials said.
An abundance of sand in the Colorado River system gives the agency an opportunity to flood the waterway to spread the sediment throughout the canyon. Despite favorable conditions after a remarkable monsoon, the November flood is a no-go.
Officials determined opening the bypass tubes at the Glen Canyon Dam would have reduced the elevation of Lake Powell on the Utah-Arizona border by about 2 feet (61 centimeters) — contrary to actions taken over the summer to boost the lake by releasing water upstream and ensure the dam can generate power.
Any more time spent below 3,525 feet (1,074 meters) above sea level is considered risky, Lee Traynham, a program manager for the Bureau of Reclamation, told the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
The agency also cited the potential effects of releasing warmer water, the risk of non-native fish moving below the dam and projected losses in hydropower. The Western Area Power Administration already has been struggling to keep up with demand.
Controlled floods have been called off before. In 2015, the Bureau of Reclamation decided against one because it was trying to stop the spread of invasive fish.
The most recent controlled flood occurred in the fall of 2018.
The altered flows don’t change the amount of water the Bureau of Reclamation must deliver downstream through Lake Mead to Arizona, Nevada, California and Mexico. The lower levels are offset by higher peak flows for hydropower at other times, the agency has said.
