Discharge records and sand extents along the Colorado River between Glen Canyon Dam and Phantom Ranch, Arizona
Data for journal manuscript: Future regulated flows of the Colorado River in Grand Canyon foretell decreased areal extent of sediment and increases in riparian vegetation
Dates
Publication Date
2021-02-03
Start Date
2009
End Date
2015
Citation
Kasprak, A., Sankey, J.B., and Butterfield, B.J., 2021, Discharge records and sand extents along the Colorado River between Glen Canyon Dam and Phantom Ranch, Arizona: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P918E2P3.
Summary
The data contained in these tables detail the areal extent of exposed sand, in square meters, along the Colorado River between Glen Canyon Dam, Arizona, and Bright Angel Creek, Arizona, within Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and Grand Canyon National Park. Sand exposure areas are provided as a function of Colorado River discharge, as measured at Lees Ferry, Arizona, in increments of 1000 cubic feet per second. Exposed sand extents are subdivided into mapped and unmapped sand areas; at Colorado River discharge; at flows below 8,000 cubic feet per second, the total extent of exposed sand can be estimated as the sum of field-mapped sand and that sand which was unmapped, but estimated to be present across the study area. At discharges [...]
Summary
The data contained in these tables detail the areal extent of exposed sand, in square meters, along the Colorado River between Glen Canyon Dam, Arizona, and Bright Angel Creek, Arizona, within Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and Grand Canyon National Park. Sand exposure areas are provided as a function of Colorado River discharge, as measured at Lees Ferry, Arizona, in increments of 1000 cubic feet per second. Exposed sand extents are subdivided into mapped and unmapped sand areas; at Colorado River discharge; at flows below 8,000 cubic feet per second, the total extent of exposed sand can be estimated as the sum of field-mapped sand and that sand which was unmapped, but estimated to be present across the study area. At discharges at or above 8,000 cubic feet per second, all unmapped sand is inundated. Cells highlighted in green correspond to inundation extents derived from hydraulic modeling along the Colorado River in Grand Canyon, and linear interpolation was performed to estimate exposed sand extent between these discrete modeling discharges.
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Discharge_Records_Sand_Extents_Metadata.xml Original FGDC Metadata
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Related External Resources
Type: Related Primary Publication
Kasprak, A., Sankey, J.B., and Butterfield, B.J., 2021, Future regulated flows of the Colorado River in Grand Canyon foretell decreased areal extent of sediment and increases in riparian vegetation: Environmental Research Letters, v. 16, no. 1, p. 014029, https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/abc9e4.
The purpose of these data are to allow for the quantification of subaerial sand exposure at varying discharges of the Colorado River. Subaerial sand is important for biophysical and cultural resource preservation in Grand Canyon and other dryland river systems, and understanding the relationship between regulated river flow and sand exposure may aid in protection of these resources.
Rights
The author(s) of these data request that data users contact them regarding intended use and to assist with understanding limitations and interpretation. Unless otherwise stated, all data, metadata and related materials are considered to satisfy the quality standards relative to the purpose for which the data were collected. Although these data and associated metadata have been reviewed for accuracy and completeness and approved for release by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), no warranty expressed or implied is made regarding the display or utility of the data for other purposes, nor on all computer systems, nor shall the act of distribution constitute any such warranty.
