Paul, I have never modeled water. My only thought would be the darker the color, the deeper the water. For what it's worth, I remember when Art, aka - Chugman, was painting his river bed and he started out with a light blue, he receive a big response regarding coloration and that darker, almost black, was the general response. I really like your canyon project and I'm anxious to see it completed. Thanks for sharing the steps along the way. Wish I had an area for a water (river/falls) scene.
Cheers, Dave