Major flow scheduled to help restore Colorado River in Grand Canyon

American Rivers statement

Contact: Amy Souers Kober, 503-708-1145  

For the first time since 2018, the US Bureau of Reclamation has authorized a High Flow Experiment to be conducted from Glen Canyon Dam into the Grand Canyon. The agency announced today that this high flow, lasting roughly 72 hours at a volume of 39,500 cubic feet per second, will be conducted starting in the early morning of Monday, April 24 and lasting through the evening of Thursday, April 27. 

High Flow Experiments are one of the best tools available to improve ecological conditions within Grand Canyon. These short duration, high flows through the canyon mobilize sand and move it downstream, rebuilding beaches and sandbars, scouring encroaching vegetation, and improving aquatic habitat for fish and insect life. 

Sinjin Eberle with American Rivers made the following statement: 

“The health of the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon has suffered for years due to the impacts of dams, strained river management, and drought. We applaud the Bureau of Reclamation for taking this critical step toward improving the health the Grand Canyon’s ecological and cultural resources. The Grand Canyon is an iconic treasure, sacred to the eleven tribes deeply connected with this place, and we must prioritize its restoration as we work more broadly to solve the basin’s water crisis.”