Comments on: Glen Canyon Dam has created a world of mud

By: Russ Bessette

Russ Bessette — Sat, 23 Mar 2024 05:36:40 +0000

Sand waves in the San Juan are a phenomenon I haven’t experienced in other rivers. The sediment seems to have created more hangups and boat pulling recently than in the past. My last trip was considerably more difficult than the previous year.

By: Eric Smith

Eric Smith — Sat, 09 Mar 2024 01:55:27 +0000

I guess I have a couple of questions about the San Juan that might help steer us towards solutions. Has it always been muddy? What was the San Juan like between the mountains and the “true” confluence with the Colorado before Lake Powell was built? If the amount of sediment in the San Juan prior to Lake Powell was less, then what are the sources of the sediment load now? Tom Ribe puts forward one possible source. I would suggest another source was the wholesale removal of beavers and their engineered ponds, wetlands and meadows from not just the San Juan but also all the tributaries that contribute flow to the San Juan watershed. Now, it is true, the extirpation of beavers within the San Juan watershed was long before Lake Powell was built. But considering how much sediment a beaver dam and floodplain can impound, it might be worth looking at reintroducing beavers and/or building a number of Beaver Dam Analogues (BDA’s) to reduce the amount of sediment reaching the San Juan Mud Berg. Just a thought.

By: Tom Ribe

Tom Ribe — Thu, 07 Mar 2024 17:15:03 +0000

The source of much of the mud is overgrazed public land. When cattle denude the land, sheet erosion occurs and the sediments join the river. We need to look critically at grazing on public lands as drought deepens.

By: Hal Jaeke

Hal Jaeke — Mon, 04 Mar 2024 22:46:54 +0000

Great article. Glad there are researchers looking into this long term issue.