Let the River Run :: essays research papers

Things encounter in nature, that we as humans sometimes celebrate from occurring cancelly.For example - a block on a river. Once direct into use on a river, a dam simply dough or slowsdown the natural flow of the weewee. Sometimes this is for the better, however - sometimes,it is for the worse. This is the upshot in the Grand Canyon. Some rivers go through natural,periods of flushing and receding, at certain times of the year, or in occurrence with other geographical events. For the first time in thirty years, in March 1996, flood waters ragesthrough the Grand Canyon. However, this was non the force of a natural flood. TheColorado River would experience this aforesaid(prenominal) type of man made flood, naturally. Thesefloods would occur every year during winter and spring rains. This water has beenreleased from an upriver dam. The dam was put into action in 1963. Since then, years ofenvironmental damage birth been adding up. Dams have been on the river for nearly acent ury - however, none were upstream of the Grand Canyon until this one was built in1963. Rivers have a number of processes involved in their everyday activities that allowthemselves and the land round them to flourish. When the flow of a river is disrupted, soare these processes. Rivers carry sediments. Along with carrying these sediments, they similarly deposit them, usually onto surrounding land areas. This deposition occurs when theflow of the water slows down. The amount of sediment a river is carrying generally givescolor to its appearance. sooner this dam was built, the Colorado River possessed acloudy, rust color. Now, when the water is halt at this dam, over 90 percent of itssediment is dropped. As a result - this gives the river a crystal clear appearance. Anotherresult of the lack of sediment, is the beach erosion that is occurring. Some beaches haveeroded to over half of their original size. This erosion is happening because the beachesdepended on the annual floods to hold them a continuous supply of fresh, fine sand. Thedam is trapping a majority of the sand. There are small tributary rivers that flow earthy into the Colorado River below the dam, they bring some sediment - but notenough. As well as these beaches depending on the floods - the rapids in the river, havethis same type of dependence. Here, the floods would clear any debris from between theboulders, an area that is straightaway choked.