Hydrology BC ENV 3025
Colorado river and dams
- Map of the
Colorado River Basin
- Glen Canyon Dam
- completed in 1963, after about 7 years of construction. Fig,
Fig
- in 1980, Lake Powell was completely full, it took long
becuase
- it was necessary to maintain water delivery to the
lower basin
- water was lost into the local aquifers
- factsheet
for
Glen Canyon
- effects of building the Glen Canyon dam:
- loss of spectacular places, see photographs
- less variability of the discharge rate
- reduction of floods
- changes in channel morphology
- reduced beaches
- debris jams in tributaries
- lower temperature of the downstream water
- lower sediment load -> clearer water
- increased sediment storage
- altered riparian vegetation,
- and declining numbers and quality of spawning grounds for
native fish
- changes in fish population
- Experimental Flood on the
Colorado
River
Resources
