Thursday, July 22, 2010
Flooding hits Havasupai area
A flash flood on Havasu Creek on Monday afternoon forced evacuation of 160 people mostly tourists, and damaged trails, the campground, and Havasu Falls.
AZGS geologist Brian Gootee is in contact with Tribal officials. He reports the trail above the village to the campground was washed out in several places. Mule traffic is not passable. Havasu Falls pool and the campground sustained significant damage – the pool is filled with sand and rock and the main creek in the campground shifted and washed out many tables and bank deposits.
AZGS has been working closely with the Tribe since severe flooding in August 2008, on mitigation and restoration projects. Brian is heading to Supai Village on Friday to help with assessment of the damage from this new flooding.
Two Phoenix tv stations posted brief reports last night of the flood - http://www.kpho.com/news/24340783/detail.html
http://www.abc15.com/dpp/news/region_northern_az/other/havasupai-residents-recovering-after-flooding-forces-160-evacuations-monday
The canyon is only accessible by mule or hiking along a 9-mile trail, by helicopter, or by hiking up from the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon.