“Access to the mine and surrounding areas is restricted to protect the cultural and spiritual significance for Native American populations”
GRAND CANYON, Arizona –—The Grand Canyon, declared a UNESCO Heritage Site in 1979, visited annually by nearly five million local and foreign tourists, tops bucket lists across the world.
But this home to 11 federally recognized tribes, traditionally associated with what is now the Grand Canyon National Park, is confronted by threats from every direction, according to authorities and climate change experts.
For instance, uranium mining risks contamination of precious water sources, and proposed developments threaten the natural, cultural, and scenic values of the canyon.
After several decades of reduced activity due to depressed prices, uranium mining is making a comeback – including on the edges of one of the United States’ most treasured wild places, the Grand Canyon, where uranium mining has left a toxic trail across the West – including at the Grand Canyon itself, authorities say.
The Canyon, world renowned for its breathtaking iconic views but a spectacular example of erosion, is also affected by air pollution from coal-fired power plants from nearby states, mining, oil and gas sources, transportation, as well as urban and industrial pollutants from Mexico and California.
We were there last month and were told that in 100 million years the Grand Canyon will be a deeper and wider valley, in the event uplift of the Colorado Plateau continues like today, with the Colorado River continually chopping down the valley bottom.
Almost five million tourists visit Grand Canyon National Park to see this immense chasm stretching 447.7 kms long, 29 kms wide and a depth of 6,000 feet.
The US Congress officially established Grand Canyon National Park in 1919, with the Grand Canyon National Park Act signed by then President Woodrrow Wilson, to protect the land and the resources within it and managed by the National Park Service.
The park’s area was greatly enlarged in 1975 by the addition of adjoining federal and other lands. In 1979 the park was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site.
As the only American representation of the Seven Wonders of the Natural World and a UNESCO National Heritage Site, the Grand Canyon admittedly is a giant American icon.
But poor visibility due to human-caused haze activities continue to impact the natural resources of Grand Canyon National Park in many ways, with observers saying humans have introduced non-native plant and animal species into the park, which overwhelm native flora and fauna for space, food and water.
Sources, speaking on condition of anonymity say hikers die each year on their Grand Canyon trip because they underestimate the dangers – cardiac arrest, falls, dehydration – of the wilderness, noting the chance of falling into the depths is about one in 400,000.
According to the Köppen climate classification system, Grand Canyon National Park has five climate zones; Cold Semi-Arid (BSk), Humid Continental Dry Cool Summer (Dsb), Humid Continental Dry Warm Summer (Dsa), Warm Summer Mediterranean (Csb), and Hot Summer Mediterranean (Csa).
Cold semi-arid climates (type “BSk”) tend to be located in elevated portions of temperate zones, typically bordering a humid continental climate or a Mediterranean climate.
Dsb is Mediterranean-influenced warm-summer humid continental climate; coldest month averaging below 0 °C or −3 °C, average temperature of the warmest month below 22 °C and at least four months averaging above 10 °C.
Dsa is Mediterranean-influenced hot-summer humid continental climate; coldest month averaging below 0 °C or −3 °C, average temperature of the warmest month above 22 °C and at least four months averaging above 10 °C.
Csb is warm-summer Mediterranean climate; coldest month averaging above 0 °C or −3 °C, all months with average temperatures below 22 °C, and at least four months averaging above 10 °C.
Hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Csa). The dry summer climate is found throughout the warmer middle latitudes, affecting almost exclusively the western portions of continents in relative proximity to the coast.
There isn’t an agreed scientific explanation for what caused this huge area of rock layers to disappear. Some geologists say it may have been caused by an ice age during that time but others think there may be more mysterious forces at play.
Deep canyons and rough terrain strongly influence solar heating and air circulation, thus many different microclimates are found throughout the canyon. In general, temperature increases -15°C with each 1,000 feet loss in elevation.
Access to the mine and surrounding areas is restricted to protect the cultural and spiritual significance for Native American populations.