Does the high-flow experiment pose a risk to public safety?

There are inherent risks associated with recreational activities along the Colorado River corridor through Grand Canyon. In recent history, releases from Glen Canyon Dam have averaged from 8,000 to 20,000 cubic feet per second (cfs). An increase to 41,000 cfs will change conditions on the river during the duration of a high-flow event. For example, research has shown that some normally difficult rapids decrease in their technical difficulty, whereas other normally straightforward rapids become more technically challenging. At the same time, the volume of water at 41,000 cfs will change the size and availability of campsites and these changes will occur at different times as the volume increases and moves downstream. Grand Canyon will also have ranger patrols on the river during future high-flow event to further assist recreational users and others.

Safety Alert Bulletin – High River Flows (65kb PDF File)

Contacts:

Grand Canyon National Park’s River Permits Office at 1-800-959-9164

Visit Grand Canyon National Park's permit page:
http://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/permits.htm