Grand Canyon National Park is considered one of the finest examples of arid-land erosion in the world. Incised by the Colorado River, the canyon is immense, averaging 4,000 feet deep for its entire 277 miles. FOX Weather’s Robert Ray explores the diversity and beauty.
GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, Ariz. — Water woes continue to plague Grand Canyon National Park, as its main water pipeline suffered another break this week.
Water restrictions were already in effect due to other earlier pipeline breaks, but now a new break has occurred in the Transcanyon Waterline, national park officials said Friday, increasing water conservation efforts along the South Rim.
“Until park staff repair the break and water in storage tanks reaches sustainable levels, the park will remain in conservation mode,” a national park spokesperson said in a statement Friday.
Photo of pipeline break on Dec. 4, 2024, approximately 1.5 miles south of Cottonwood Campground along the North Kaibab Trail.
(NPS Photo/R. Babiarz)
Some camper services will shutter and campground water spigots turned off, park officials said. Guests and campers may find additional water restrictions on arrival.
Some ways residents and visitors can continue to help conserve water are to limit showers to five minutes or less, turn the faucet off while shaving or brushing teeth, selectively flush the toilet, wash laundry with full loads, and report leaks to appropriate offices.
The most recent closure comes just a couple of weeks after another pipeline break along the North Rim triggered an initial round of water conservation mandates. Hotels had to close over the busy Labor Day Weekend when water levels reached critically low levels following a series of breaks in the Transcanyon Waterline.
GRAND CANYON’S HOTELS CLOSE OVER LABOR DAY WEEKEND AFTER MAIN WATER SUPPLY FAILS
The original Transcanyon Waterline was constructed in the 1960s and, according to the NPS, has long surpassed its expected lifespan.
Since 2010, there have been at least 85 major reported breaks that have disrupted water delivery to the National Park. Extreme temperature swings in the rugged terrain strain the infrastructure.
A multi-year, $200 million rehabilitation project is underway to overhaul the water system, with completion expected by 2027 at the earliest.