Fish in the Grand Canyon are getting some help from Arizona's Glen Canyon Dam. A 60-hour release of water from the dam into the Colorado River was orchestrated in an effort to assist the endangered humpbacked chub, a fish that requires water flow mimicking the natural rhythm of a river. It was hoped the water would deposit the silt and sediment needed to rebuild and extend sandbars and allow the fish to reproduce in new, calm backwater areas.

The state Bureau of Reclamation, in charge of the Colorado River's two dams, and the National Park Service have been arguing the need for hydroelectric power in the Southwest against the neccessary action imperative to the survival of the fish. A Bureau of Reclamation representative said this initiative would cost $30 to $35 million to replace the sacrificed hydroelectric power. However Grand Canyon National Park Superintendent Steve Martin (not to be confused with the former Saturday Night Live comedian) said a one-time water flow would not be sufficient enough to improve the environment for the fish and actually may do more harm than good if the action is not repeated several more times over the next five years. Other experts agree with Martin's assessment of the situation.

“This experiment, this celebration, is a charade,” said Nikolai Lash, senior program director of the Grand Canyon Trust, a private environmental group. “It was a glamorous event staged for the media that shows the Bureau of Reclamation is doing something for the environment, when in fact there’s a lot more to do.”

The river flow pattern over the next six months is expected to sporadically rise and fall. A steady water flow after this high-flow experiment is needed otherwise the enlarged sandbars will rapidly erode.

» The New York Times