Federal flood control managers, led by Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne, are set to simulate a springtime flood, flushing millions of cubic feet of water from behind Glen Canyon Dam in Arizona. The 60-hour "blowout" and a series of smaller flows planned for fall 2008 will scour accumulated sand off the bottom of the Colorado River and gradually restore sandy beaches and side pools for recreation users and wildlife, according to Bureau of Reclamation and U.S. Geological Survey representatives.

At peak volume, 41,500 cu ft per second of water will flow from tubes at the dam's bottom. National park officials reference $80 million in research conducted over 10 years in expressing their concern that this flooding could irreversibly harm Grand Canyon National Park's ecology and resources.

Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, in a statement, called the flush a "staged canyon greenwash" meant to attract media attention and follow a flood timeline that would "magnify the benefits for power production at the expense of environmental benefits." Executive Director Jeff Ruch said, "The Bush administration is trying to extend its control through the term of its successor--a dead man's hand throttling the Colorado River management."

Erosion has been a major issue in the area since the 1960s, when Glen Canyon was dammed for hydroelectric power and water storage. The Grand Canyon Preservation Act, passed by Congress in 1992, calls for holding back massive amounts of sediment-laden runoff.

Source: Los Angeles Times