River Rules

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PHOENIX, Arizona: Making environmental concerns a greater factor in river management, Department of Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt Wednesday authorized new rules regulating the Colorado River's flow through the Grand Canyon. The measure, which prevents regional power cooperatives from sending erratic amounts of water through the Glen Canyon Dam, is considered significant in that it will change how dams are managed throughout the nation. The announcement is the culmination of a six-year Department of Interior study into environmental changes caused by the Glen Canyon Dam since 1963. Supporting a claim by environmentalists that rivers require a steady flow of water to support life, researchers found decades of wild fluctuations in water discharge severely damaged the canyon's ecosystem. To counter this damage, the new law makes it illegal for dam managers to increase the hourly flow by more than 4,000 cubic feet per second or decrease it by more than 1,500. The new regulations also allow for manmade floods to periodically soak the canyon. This is crucial for environmental stability, the study concluded, as massive floods of this type rejuvenate fish breeding areas by replenishing them with nutrient-rich sediments. Although the new law is a boon for the environment, utilities warn the new rules will increase electricity rates.