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Show News J UTAH NEWS WEDNESDAY ARCH 27, 1986 rn AD V'.O XJf Glen Canyon Damn releases test flow to repair beaches The National Park Service, Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Geological Survey, and other federal and state cooperating agencies is conducting an experimeng tal beach test habitat-buildin- flow from Glen Canyon Dam through April 7, 1996. downstream environmental and cultural resources and Native American interests in Glen and Grand Canyons. The flow is "being conducted to test scientific predictions prior to long-terimplementation of the EIS. The test flow consists of high releases of short duration designed to rebuild high elevation sandbars, deposit nutrients, restore backwater channels, prevent return channels from becoming overgrown with vegetation, and help restore some of the dynamics of a natural river system. The event began on March 22 with four days of steady 8,000 m graphs were taken of existing river conditions. On March 26, flows were increased by 4,000 cfs per hour until the 45,000 cfs flow was established. The flow will remain at this level until April 2, when downramping will begin and discharge will decrease over a two day period. The downramping will be in a stair-ste- p fashion to hopefully allow more sediment to settle. ronmental Impact Statement The flow will return to 8,000 cfs (EIS) for the Operation of Glen refor four days beginning on April Canyon Dam. The EIS was 4 and then return to a normal leased in March, 1995 and was flow rate near 12,000 cfs. Scienprepared subsequent to the Grand Canyon Protection Act of tists will be staged in various reevaluwhich locations along the Colorado a mandated 1992, miniof dam to River to document the process. (cfs) tion flows, imize adverseoperations on the which aerial time The test flow is expected to acduring photo impacts complish several important objectives. Greater flow velocity and volume will stir sand deposits up from the river channel and rebuild eroded beaches, improve habitat associated with sandbars, and restore more natural vegetation communities along the Colorado River. For nearly a decade, sand has eroded from beaches and has settled in the river channel. This errosion process has caused damage to important archeological sites, impaired wildlife habitat and reduced available beach areas for the approximately 22,000 annual river users. Grand Canyon National Park Superintendent Robert L. Amberger stated, the primaiy goal of the test flow isto withdraw This example of backwater in the Grand Canyon is what the test flow will from this bank account of sand hopefully rejuvenate by redistributing the sediments and nutrients. Bureau of and deposit it on beaches, addReclamation photo. ing, under natural conditionsthis The beachhabitat building test flow is part of the Preferred Alternative of the Final Envi- cubic-foot-per-seco- nd This view from the Glen Canyon Dam shows the hollow-je- t releasing water at a rate of 1 7, 000 cfs. The rate hit 45,000 cfs yesterday and will stay at that rate until April 2. Bureau of Reclamation photo by Tom Fridmann. would have occurred every spring. Scientists studying the river over the pastl2 years have found this sand dynamic to be the key to river ecosystem health. Superintendent Amberger is very pleased about the prospects for this extremely important re- National Park. The river corri- dor provides opportunities for all people to enjoy the benefits of wilderness; to be physically and spirituallyrefreshed, and tomake that special connection between our humanity and the natural world with which we have evolved. As the years pass, the this is the payback to public value of this park and all source management action, stat- Kanab Area Physicians Calendar & Office Hours ing that, the American people who have others in the system will confought hard to protect the full tinue to increase and the mission range of ecological and public of the National Park Service and values being preserved within other federal agencies engaged Grand Canyon National Park. in wild lands protection will beReflecting on the mission of the come even more critical to the N ationalParkService,he added, well being of our society. Grand Canyon National Park It is hoped that similar reis an important part of the great leases from the dam will occur American system of National when the scientific monitoring Parks, wilderness areas and program indicates that condDther primitive landscapes that itions require another high flow have been set aside by Congress and ample water is available in on behalf of the American pub- Lake Powell to cany it out. The lic to protect, for all time, our process of monitoring river connatural and cultural heritage. ditions and prescribing changes N ational Parks are very special in flow regimes is referred to as places that Rave been set aside adaptive management. The for completeprotection and care- Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive ful management because they Management Program is one of contain nationally significant the most complex and innovanatural, cultural, or historic re- tive of such programs being carsources. The national park idea ried out ly federal government is truly an American concept agencies. The National Park and is the most envied and cop- Service, the Bureau ofReclama-tioand the other cooperating ied ofAmerican institutions. As a result of our leadership, na- services are committed to his process provides the tional park systems have been established in over 150 other type of continued resource protection that this American crown nations. The Colorado River is the heart jewel, Grand Canyon National and lifeblood of Grand Canyon Park, deserves. n, The Kane County Hospitals regular governing board meetings are held the 3rd Wednesday of each month at 7 p.m. in the Kane County Hospital's Conference room. Brought to you by Kane County Hospital assur-ingth- at 4 |