Grand Canyon flushed with millions of litres of water

Washington - More than one million litres per second of water were unleashed on the Grand Canyon Wednesday in a scientific experiment designed to rebuild beaches used by wildlife and visitors alike. Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne said the flood of water released into the canyon from the upstream Glen Canyon Dam was an attempt to recreate a natural process that has occurred for millions of years, and the sheer volume of water being released was at a rate more than twice that of similar actions in 1996 and 2004. 'The water will be released at a rate that would fill the Empire State Building within 20 minutes,' said Kempthorne, who was on hand to open the jet tubes at the Glen Canyon Dam that began the process. The water will flow for 60 hours through the 446-kilometre stretch of the Colorado river that makes up the Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona. Scientists hope the stronger surge will give them an insight into how to rebuild eroded beaches downstream in the canyon by moving sediment that has built up over the years and creating new sandbars and beaches that will benefit endangered species living in the region.

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Grand Canyon flushed with millions of litres of water

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