Friday, Nov. 19, 2021 | 8:40 p.m.
A federal agency that manages dams along the Colorado River plans to use a low-flying plane to conduct an aerial survey of the river and reservoirs between Hoover Dam and the U.S.-Mexico border starting later this month.
Data from the survey planned between Nov. 21 and Dec. 20 is intended for use by multiple programs, the Bureau of Reclamation said in a statement Friday.
Water releases to aid the survey will vary more than is typical for this time of year but will remain within normal operational parameters, the bureau said.
However, boaters and other river users should be aware that the releases may expose and create sandbars and a variety of other obstacles, the bureau said.
In particular, releases from Davis Dam near Parker, Arizona, will be significantly reduced Nov. 23 between 5 a.m. and 1 p.m. MST., so river access below the dam “will be very limited and extra caution should be exercised if use of the river is planned during these times," the bureau said.
The contractor aircraft will follow federal aviation guidelines and “be operated by experienced pilots specially trained for low-level flying," the bureau said.
