Stone Stronghold
Lake Powell/Colorado River
Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, UT
After completion of the 710-foot-high Glen Canyon Dam in 1963, it took 17 years for the Colorado River in Glen Canyon to swell into “full pool” as Lake Powell. Unusually wet winters and severe floods threatened to overflow the dam in 1983 and 1984. Due to fluctuating snowmelt, drought, evaporation, overconsumption, and seepage through the sandstone, the reservoir has not reached capacity since. The rate of depletion continues to exceed the rate of replenishment. The receding waters leave behind a white, mineral-based coating on the bottom of rocks in and around the lake (seen here on the exposed Entrada Sandstone of Castle Rock). Known as the “Bathtub Ring,” it visibly chronicles the lake’s high water mark and the extreme variability of the Colorado River.
Signed fine art prints available.
Please contact Colleen Miniuk at cms@cms-photo.com for pricing on a variety of sizing, printing, and finishing options.