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Annual flushes restoring Colorado River beaches

The Colorado River flows through a scenic stretch of Grand Canyon National Park past Nankoweap Camp near River Mile 53. The first 53 miles of the Colorado River from the launch at Lee's Ferry was named Marble Canyon by explorer John Wesley Powell in 1869. For rafters headed downstream, this stretch marks the official beginning of what he later named the Grand Canyon. (Rich Landers)
The Colorado River flows through a scenic stretch of Grand Canyon National Park past Nankoweap Camp near River Mile 53. The first 53 miles of the Colorado River from the launch at Lee's Ferry was named Marble Canyon by explorer John Wesley Powell in 1869. For rafters headed downstream, this stretch marks the official beginning of what he later named the Grand Canyon. (Rich Landers)

RIVERS -- Real live on a river is a beach. It's nice to get scientific proof.

USGS reports Colorado River releases create sandbars as planned
Glen Canyon Dam has been blocking flood events on the Colorado River for 52 years, essentially obliterating the ecologically important sandbars in the river. In 1996, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation began releasing periodic torrents of water to mimic those high flows, but a rule change in 2012 allows such releases as long as conditions warrant. For the past three Novembers, the gates at the dam have been opened to release 100,000 acre feet of water, and a U.S. Geological Survey report released last week said the seasonal gushers are working as planned, with the formation of sandbars downriver.
-- Salt Lake Tribune

Rich Landers
Rich Landers joined The Spokesman-Review in 1977. He is the Outdoors editor for the Sports Department writing and photographing stories about hiking, hunting, fishing, boating, conservation, nature and wildlife and related topics.

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