Saturday, August 28, 2010

Red Rocks on the Weekend: The Rainbow Bridge



The Rainbow Bridge spans the Colorado River above the Grand Canyon.  This photo was taken from the parking lot adjacent to the Glen Canyon Dam.  The last major infrastructure project in the USA until the recent completion of the "Big Dig" in Boston.

Completed by the Bureau of Reclamation in 1966, it has resulted in many environmental problems including the degradation of the Grand Canyon ecosystem.  The water held back by the Dam also prevents the Colorado River from flowing through to the Gulf of California. Lawsuits resulted in a plan to restore the Grand Canyon ecosystem by scheduled water releases that mimic the spring runoff.  But the farmers in Mexico are out of luck, as the Colorado River turns into a salty swamp near the border and is not free flowing.

1 comment:

  1. That's human beings, my friend: they'll never learn. (Sorry for this "dark" comment)

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