Man Made Flooding Event Underway at the Grand Canyon

On Wednesday March 5th Federal Officials opened the floodgates and released more than 300,000 per second from Lake Powell's Glen Canyon Dam. This event is scheduled to last for three days and is aimed at restoring sandbars and meant to mimic the natural processes of flooding that had annually occurred for millenia before the dam's construction blocked sediments from entering the Grand Canyon ecosystem.

As mentioned in this blog's January 2008 Update we knew there was a possibility of such a high-flow experiment but the Nat'l Park Service has not yet issued a Press Release concerning the flooding. More information is available online at www.nps.gov/grca/ under the title Special Events That Could Affect Your 2008 Visit!

This event affects river rafters more than hikers, although hikers could experience more competition for river camp sites - as some areas next to the river will be underwater.

Before setting out on a hike into the Grand Canyon you should always check with the Backcountry Information Center - either stop by the Backcountry Office or call (928) 638-7875 (Mon-Fri; 1-5 PM Arizona Time). Let them know your itinerary and ask if there is any new trail info you should be aware of.

File photo from the 2004 High-Flow Event (Photo by Dale Blank - USGS)