Wouldn Lake Mead silt in faster without Glen Canyon Dam?
Yes, somewhat, because dams on high volume, high sediment rivers such as the Colorado trip huge amounts of sediment. Building more dams upstream to extend the life of downstream dams is not a long term solution. Much of the sediment would be captured in the 270 miles of the Grand Canyon and become new sandbars, a natural occurrence before Glen Canyon Dam was built. Upstream conservation and sediment management can assist in minimizing this concern. Additionally, sediment management at Powell would be far more difficult and costly than managing the sediment at Mead. The sheer, deep canyon walls of Powell make it a poor sediment management location, while the wide open desert around Mead is much better suited for this. This issue will be studied through an environmental analysis.
