Satellite photos show impact of water sent to Lake Mead

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) -- Satellite images of the Colorado River provided by NASA show the powerful rush of water out of Glen Canyon Dam in late April successfully moved sand down the river.

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation opened up the flow down the Colorado River and downstream to Lake Mead on April 24, sending a gush of water at 39,500 cubic feet per second (cfs) and lasting 72 hours. The desired effect: push sand and sediment out of the riverbed below the dam to build up sandbars further down the river. Those sandbars provide camping spots for people along the river.

The image slider below shows the result, particularly in the area around Horseshoe Bend, one of the most-photographed spots on the Colorado River. In the "after" image, the burst of water coming out of Lake Powell is still visible as a white splotch just below Glen Canyon Dam.

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