‘My heart just sank’: Popular Lake Powell geological feature collapses

Carter Williams, KSL.com

BIG WATER, Utah (KSL.com) – About 20 to 30 group were swimming and playing astir Lake Powell’s Double Arch Thursday day erstwhile Merril Campbell said he heard a “huge splash.”

“(It) was evidently bigger than personification jumping successful nan lake,” he said connected Friday. “It was for illustration a Volkswagen-sized stone that fell off.”

Campbell, who was boating successful nan area astatine nan time, was 1 of nan galore witnesses who saw nan celebrated geological characteristic statesman to crumble successful nan h2o beneath it. The characteristic didn’t autumn each astatine erstwhile but successful small pieces passim nan day.

Within nan adjacent 5 hours, it was wholly gone.

Glen Canyon National Recreation Area officials confirmed Friday that Double Arch, besides commonly known by visitors arsenic “Toilet Bowl,” “Crescent Pool” aliases “Hole successful nan Roof,” crumbled connected Thursday. No injuries were reported arsenic a consequence moreover pinch video showing galore group successful nan area astatine nan clip it began to autumn apart.

Double Arch successful Rock Creek Bay successful Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. Park officials said it collapsed connected Thursday. | Courtesy National Park Service

“This arena serves arsenic a reminder of our work and request to protect nan mineral resources surrounding Lake Powell. These features person a lifespan that tin beryllium influenced aliases damaged by manmade interventions,” said Glen Canyon National Recreation Area Superintendent Michelle Kerns successful a statement.

Park officials statement that nan earthy characteristic formed retired of Navajo sandstone successful nan precocious Triassic to early Jurassic periods astir 190 cardinal years ago. It wasn’t instantly clear what caused nan collapse, but its statement is nan consequence of galore of nan aforesaid factors that apt caused it to collapse, specified arsenic erosion from wind, rainfall and different upwind factors.

Rangers opportunity changing h2o levels from nan manmade reservoir — a reservoir that first started filling successful 1963 — and erosion from activity action apt contributed to nan feature’s collapse, arsenic well.

Word of its illness quickly dispersed done societal media and outdoors-themed online chatrooms moreover earlier nan National Park Service confirmed nan collapse. Monica Miles, who said nan earthy characteristic was 1 of her family’s favourite parts of Lake Powell, was among nan group who returned to nan tract Friday to spot that it had wholly vanished.

“I cognize my bosom conscionable sank, and I conscionable knew really sad my kids were going to be,” she said. “But we person truthful galore awesome memories location that will past forever.”

Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, which features Lake Powell, collapsed its visitation grounds past year, bringing successful 5.2 cardinal visitors.

Its fame has shown nary signs of slowing down this year. Kerns said parkland rangers are doing their champion to make judge that different elements of nan parkland are disposable to visitors.

“We will proceed to support our assets protection efforts connected Lake Powell for early generations to enjoy,” she said.

A photograph of wherever Double Arch erstwhile existed successful Rock Creek Bay successful Glen Canyon National Recreation Area taken connected Friday. Park officials said it collapsed connected Thursday. | Courtesy Monica Miles

An aerial position of wherever Double Arch erstwhile existed successful Rock Creek Bay successful Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. Park officials said it collapsed connected Thursday. | Courtesy National Park Service