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Thursday, July 24, 2008

Photo: Man-Made Flood Unleashed in Grand Canyon


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March 5, 2008— Long night exposure softens the appearance of a stream in this undated photograph taken in Arizona's Grand Canyon.

Federal officials today unleashed the third manmade flood in the Grand Canyon in twelve years, hoping stir up sediment to restore the ecosystem that was altered in 1963, when the Glen Canyon Dam was completed.

The Colorado River downstream used to be warm and muddy, but now it's cold and clear.

The shift helped speed the extinction of four fish species and push two others, including the endangered humpback chub, near the edge.

Now officials are trying to reverse the damage.

Photograph by Michael Nichols/National Geographic