Monday, August 18, 2008

Dam breach a minor factor in Grand Canyon flooding


The National Park Service says that the earthen dam breached early Sunday morning on a private ranch near Grand Canyon National Park did not contribute to the massive floodwater sweeping through the canyon.


By 3 am on Sunday, a number of bridges and three homes on Havasu Creek were washed away by rising waters.

The Coconino County Sheriffs Dept said the Redlands Dam, which was initially blamed for the flooding, is a small dam that forms a pond to provide water for livestock. The sheriff's office spokesman said it isn't a "huge, significant" structure and its rupture was only one factor in the flooding.

[above, helicopter during rescue operations on Sunday. NPS]

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