Colorado River from Glen Canyon Bridge

I wasn’t expecting to be visiting two major dams in this trip. I should have expected it since the Colorado River is a major part of my visit. The river is the major source of life in this arid landscape and I think it is amazing that there is such a major river flowing through the desert in the first place. Engineers built dams in various parts of the river which have significantly changed the ecology of the river. The once mighty flowing river is now calm and serene. There will of course be parts of the river which are still rough but from where I am, I didn’t think the river would be considered rough.

Glen Canyon Bridge in Page Arizona, provides a good view of the Colorado River from above. The river carved a deep canyon and the bridge soars high above the river. The river has a bluish green color. However, this wasn’t always the case. Before the river was dammed, the water used to be muddy reddish brown. This is due to the sandstone that would get mixed into the water as the river flows. Perhaps that would still be the case when there are rains and there is plenty of water. The current blue-green color contrasts with the red sandstone of the canyon walls. Some parts of the river are navigable and are used for recreation. Upstream from the dam is Lake Powell, which is a major recreation area in Page.

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