A major failure in the main water pipeline supplying Grand Canyon National Park has resulted in an unexpected shutdown of overnight hotel accommodations, coinciding with one of the busiest travel weekends of the year, CBS News reports.
Water restrictions will remain in place throughout the Labor Day holiday, impacting hotels that are typically near or at full capacity.
The park has been grappling with water supply issues since July 8, and officials have reported that no water is currently being pumped to either the north or south rims of the canyon. The Transcanyon Waterline, which stretches 12.5 miles and has supplied potable water to facilities on the South Rim and inner canyon since the 1960s, has now exceeded its expected lifespan and has history of frequent failures.
Josh Coddington, communications director at the Arizona Office of Tourism, warned that the failure is likely to cause confusion for visitors, with many eager to learn about the park’s accessibility.
“The Grand Canyon is known not only throughout the US, but throughout the world, and people love visiting it,” he said.
Under the new “Stage 4” water restrictions, which have never been implemented until now, overnight stays will be prohibited starting Thursday at prominent hotel locations such as El Tovar, Bright Angel Lodge, Maswik Lodge, and Phantom Ranch. While some hotel restaurants continued to serve guests on Wednesday evening, and parking lots filled at the South Rim, the situation remains critical. Conversely, hotels located outside the park, notably in Tusayan, Arizona, remain unaffected, and the park will still welcome daytime visitors.
Heidi Zahner Younts of Iowa City expressed her disappointment on the park’s Facebook page regarding her anticipated trip with her daughter, calling the situation “sad.” However, she later informed the Associated Press that she managed to secure a hotel outside the park and hoped the water restrictions would lead to “less traffic and people.”
In the past decade, there have been over 85 significant breaks in the waterline, but none have triggered such stringent restrictions. The recent series of breaks has heightened the urgency for repairs. Park officials indicated that restoration efforts are particularly complicated due to the breaks occurring in a narrow area of the canyon known as “the box,” which is prone to rock falls and high temperatures.
The timing of the pipeline failure overlaps with a $208 million rehabilitation project for the waterline that began recently, with upgrades expected to conclude by 2027. The park aims to ensure sufficient water supply to cater to its 6 million annual visitors and support its 2,500 year-round residents.
Park officials are hopeful to restore full operational status for overnight guests as soon as possible but acknowledge the challenges posed by the specific location of the breaks.
line failure overlaps with a $208 million rehabilitation project for the waterline that began recently, with upgrades expected to conclude by 2027. The park aims to ensure sufficient water supply to cater to its 6 million annual visitors and support its 2,500 year-round residents.
