Tiers of Joy
Colorado River
Grand Canyon National Park, AZ
In 1869, John Wesley Powell—a one-armed Civil War veteran—and nine men floated the Green and Colorado rivers in wooden boats together as the Colorado River Expedition, the first known navigation of the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon by Anglo-Americans. He named a 61-mile stretch from Lee’s Ferry to the confluence with the Little Colorado River “Marble Canyon” even though no marble exists in this area.
Near river mile 39 (as measured from Lee’s Ferry), the Bureau of Reclamation proposed building the Marble Canyon Dam in the 1940s. Following fierce public outcry, President Lyndon B. Johnson established the Marble Canyon National Monument in 1969. President Gerald Ford then added this canyon to the Grand Canyon National Park in 1975—preventing any further dam-building considerations in this marble-less place.
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.