Today the Glen Canyon Dam was opened to let water through to the Colorado River to help rebuild natural habitats. The high flow experimental release sent about 42-thousand cubic feet of water per second down the Colorado River. This man-made creation mimicked natural flooding that occured prior to the construction of Glen Canyon Dam.
Releasing water helps to move the built up sediment out from behind the dam and bring it downstream which also aids in building habitats for key fish and wildlife. It could also potentially reduce erosion and increase beaches along the Colorado River.
The last release in Glen Canyon was in 2008, the next one will be on an as needed basis.
