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Controlled Flood of the Colorado River, Grand Canyon
In November, 2004, a controlled flood was unleashed from the
Glen Canyon Dam to replenish sandbars in the Grand Canyon. Discharge
measurements using an ADCP were desired to check the attenuation of the flood
wave, at the 60-mile station on the Colorado River. We mounted the ADCP onto an
aluminum jetboat, which was also used to collect suspended-sediment and bed
sediment samples. Major difficulties included excessive turbulence, debris, and
an extremely fast-moving bed. Nonetheless, Jeffrey Gartner (USGS, Arizona Water
Science Center) was able to correct the measurements at the 30-mile and 60-mile
sites, to obtain reasonable discharge measurements during the flood.
The trip downriver was beautiful (and cold), and the camp at 60-mile was as
close to luxury as one could expect for 12 days. Thanksgiving dinner was
elegant, with a beautiful full moon and perfect weather (after a few days of
storms and snow). The Little Colorado River, just downstream of 60-mile,
flooded during the test, releasing muddy waters of an incredible quality (not
unlike chocolate milk). A short hike on the Powell Route warmed us up for the
hike out the next day, on the Tanner Trail. At the top of the Canyon, we were
greeted by snowfall and a markedly different world.
Publication
Gartner, J.W. and Ganju, N.K., 2007, Discharge measurements by acoustic Doppler
current meter without global positioning during the 2004 Glen Canyon Dam
Controlled Flood Release on the Colorado River. Limnology and
Oceanography: Methods,5, 156-162.
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