Now that's a faucet. 300,000 gallons of water a second, which is part of a 60-hour flow of around 75,000,000,000 gallons of water meant to revitalize the Colorado River and the Grand Canyon.
Since 1995, 27 agencies have been working on a plan to mimic natural flooding that will redistribute sediment from central riverbeds to the riverside. This would rebuild sandbars downstream and create a better habitat for endangered fish, such as the humpback chub, and create better recreational spaces for people to use.
The first discharge was in 1996, and carried a small amount of sediment through the Grand Canyon into Lake Mead. Blast number two, in 2004, didn't move enough sand.
Results for this flow should be in within the end of the year and will provide a benchmark to base the next one on. So far, the initiative doesn't look too successful.
[Popular Science]
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