Colorado River Sand Budget: Lee's Ferry to Little Colorado River
Smillie GM, Jackson WL, Tucker D. 1992. Colorado River Sand Budget: Lee's Ferry to Little Colorado River. Technical Report NPS/NRWRD/NRTR-92/12; NPS D-191. National Park Service, Water Resources Division. Washington, DC
This demonstrates an approach to sand balance analysis in Glen and Grand Canyons. Objectives for sediment management along the Colorado River are 1) to maintain a positive sand balance, and 2) to maintain the range of morphologic features associated with the temporary storage of sand in the river system. Flow fluctuations and corresponding sand transport in the Colorado River can be managed to achieve a balance with long-term average annual sand inputs from the Paria River. With the variability in annual tributary inputs, however, even under conditions of long-term sediment balance, there will inevitably be periods of fairly substantial deficits in river-stored sand. The implications of this analysis for dam operations are discussed. Very brief bibliography, 4 figures, 1 table.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Smillie, Gary; Jackson, William; Tucker, Dean
- Date of Issue
- 1992-05
- Publisher
- National Park Service, Water Resources Division
- Units
- GLCA , GRCA , WRD
- Keywords
- Beach Profiles, Beaches, Clemson, Colorado River, Dam Operation, Dams, Floods, Fluctuations (Streamflow), Glen Canyon Dam (AZ), Glen Canyon Environmental Studies (GCES), Impacts, NPSRecord, Paria River, Sandbars, Sediment, Sediment Transport, Streamflow, Water Resources, WRBIB