No More Grand Canyon? Why The Site Is Considered Endangered [Video]
Is the Grand Canyon in jeopardy? The historic location was listed as endangered by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. There are 11 endangered historic sites in total on the list, which was made public on Tuesday. The organization hoped that the “endangered list” would help draw attention to the potential loss of historically relevant locations across the United States.
But what about the Grand Canyon makes it “endangered”? The NTHP suggested that everything from “tourist resorts to mining” is altering the appearance and composition of the iconic site. The strongest force by far on the Grand Canyon has been erosion. The erosion is caused by forces ranging from the Colorado River, to mudslides, to wind erosion and falling rocks.
.@SavingPlaces lists the Grand Canyon among the USA’s most-endangered historic places: http://t.co/Qzhyl0qPt6 pic.twitter.com/XWUGzYmWEz
— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) June 24, 2015
More recently, a regional drought has had a profound effect on the Grand Canyon. The springs that flow within the iconic site are starting to run dry. The Arizona Daily Sun reported that the flows of Vasey’s Paradise, a perennial spring, have not adequately been replenished due to low snowfall over the last two years.
This snow is meant to “recharges the aquifer that feeds the spring.” Due to a lack of replenishment, instead of waters flowing from three or four holes in the canyon walls, as of now, water only flows from one. In addition to having a profound impact on the look of this area of the Grand Canyon, there are other unintended consequences of these recent changes.
“The ecological repercussions of springs drying up or declining in flow could be huge.
Springs are hotspots for biodiversity, [a]nd when they go dry the life they support likely goes away as well. He estimates there are hundreds to thousands of species that are springs-dependent, including 10 percent of the endangered species in the Southwest.
Montezuma Well, a spring about 50 miles south of Flagstaff, is believed to have the highest diversity of unique species of any point in North America… Vaseys Paradise feeds a rich carpet of mosses, grasses and shrubs and supports a range of species, including the endangered Kanab ambersnail.”
This issue drives home the fact that ecological changes to a location like the Grand Canyon don’t just affect nearby human populations or the enjoyment of American tourists — wildlife and plant species may also become endangered. Some are even vulnerable to dying out altogether.
Grand Canyon named one of USA’s “most-endangered historic places” http://t.co/uxpZSJdvA4 pic.twitter.com/m0lnGQxtOz
— USA TODAY Travel (@usatodaytravel) June 24, 2015
What can we do to help the Grand Canyon? Ideally, speak out against toxic mining and unnecessary human development.
Do you have any suggestions for preserving the endangered Grand Canyon? Share them in the comment section below!
[Image credit: Wikimedia Commons]
