Cataract Canyon
Encyclopedia
Cataract Canyon is a 46 miles (74 km) long canyon of the Colorado River
located within Canyonlands National Park
and Glen Canyon National Recreation Area
in Utah
. It begins on the upstream end at the confluence with the Green River
and ends at the confluence of the Dirty Devil River
. The lower half of the canyon is submerged beneath Lake Powell
when the lake is at its normal high water elevation of 3700 feet (1,127.8 m)
. Cataract Canyon is rated on the river scale of one to five, unlike the Grand Canyon which is rated on the scale of one to ten. Also unlike the Grand Canyon, the flow of the Colorado River
through Cataract Canyon is generally unregulated. The river flow can reach extreme levels during the spring runoff in years following plentiful snow throughout the Colorado River watershed. During an average spring runoff, the Colorado River will peak at approximately 52000 cuft/s. The maximum recorded flow of 114900 cuft/s occurred on May 27, 1984. The rapids of Cataract Canyon become difficult at flows above 30000 cuft/s and extreme at flows above 50000 cuft/s.
Most rapids in Cataract Canyon are simply named from upstream to downstream as Rapid 1, Rapid 2, etc. However, some rapids within the canyon have separate names due to their location or notoriety. Particularly notorious are the "Big Drops", a set of three rapids in short succession named "Big Drop 1", "Big Drop 2" and "Big Drop 3". During high water, these three rapids essentially run together to form one very large rapid. These rapids contain many large hydraulic features including, "Little Niagara", "Satan's Gut",and "The Claw". During times of high runoff, the National Park Service
sometimes establishes a camp below the big drops and uses a jet boat to facilitate rescues of capsized rafts and their passengers. However,it is generally understood by seasoned river runners that all should 'self-rescue' and not depend on the NPS for support.
Cataract Canyon historically contained several rapids which are currently submerged beneath Lake Powell
and have been buried in lake sediment. Gypsum Canyon Rapid and Dark Canyon Rapid in particular were considered very difficult rapids to navigate.
River trips which run Cataract Canyon must also run one of the flatwater sections above the confluence of the Green River
and the Colorado River. Most groups launch at Potash (on the Colorado River) or Mineral Bottom (on the Green River) and spend up to 5 days on the river before entering Cataract Canyon. Motorized trips can make the trip into Cataract Canyon in substantially less time, often one day. In addition to the flatwater at the beginning of the trip, all groups must traverse Lake Powell
before reaching the take-out at the Dirty Devil River
or Hite Marina. Depending on the water level in Lake Powell, up to 35 miles (56.3 km) of lake water may be encountered by groups exiting the canyon.
A number of commercial outfitters offer guided trips through Cataract Canyon. These trips vary in length between 1 day and 6 days and utilize both motorized and non-motorized vessels. Private groups are required to obtain a permit from the National Park Service prior to embarking on a Cataract Canyon trip.
, inhabited the Canyonlands area long before European settlers reached the area. Rock art and ruins have been found in Cataract Canyon that are at least 800-years old.
Because of the remote location, it was some time before European explorers and settlers reached the area. The Colorado River and its canyons was more of a blockade to travel than a destination to be explored. The first recorded European to reach Cataract Canyon was a fur trapper named Denis Julien
in 1836. Julien carved his name into a rock wall in Cataract Canyon.
The first organized exploration to travel through Cataract Canyon was the Powell Expedition
in 1869. The Powell Expedition was led by John Wesley Powell
, a one-armed Civil War
veteran who launched in wooden boats near Green River, Wyoming
and traveled down the Green River
to its confluence with the Colorado River at the top of Cataract Canyon. The rapids of Cataract Canyon terrified Powell and his men. The expedition portaged their boats around every rapid in the canyon, a difficult and arduous task. Because of the difficulty of the rapids, Powell named the canyon Cataract Canyon. After exiting Cataract Canyon, Powell continued his trip downstream through Glen Canyon, now submerged by Lake Powell
, ultimately running the Grand Canyon
before ending his trip near the mouth of the Virgin River
.
Other river runners would soon follow. Nathanial Galloway made numerous trips through the canyon, beginning in 1894. Galloway would later go on to pioneer rowing techniques still used by river runners today. Brothers Emery and Ellsworth Kolb traveled through the canyon in 1911. The Kolb brothers eventually established a studio on the south rim of the Grand Canyon where they featured videos of their exploits running the rapids of the Grand Canyon and Cataract Canyon. "Buzz" Holmstrom made a solo trip through Cataract Canyon and the Grand Canyon in 1937, eventually ending at the newly constructed Hoover Dam
. The first commercial outfitter to offer trips through Cataract Canyon was Norman Nevills
in 1938. The advent of rubber rafts came about in the early 1950s with the availability of surplus rubber rafts from World War II
. River Runners found the rubber rafts easier to maneuver and much more forgiving than their wooden counterparts. With this newer equipment, many commercial outfitters began running the Grand Canyon and Cataract Canyon.
Cataract Canyon is cut by the Colorado River into the Colorado Plateau
, a broad area comprising much of the American Southwest. Until approximately 80 million years ago, the Colorado Plateau was near sea level. Over millions of years, a series of inland oceans transgressed onto and regressed from the region, resulting in a series of horizontally deposited rock layers. Approximately 70 to 80 million years ago, a series of mountain building events called the Laramide orogeny
uplifted the entire region. The Colorado River subsequently cut through the rock layers, exposing them. The oldest rock layer visible in Cataract Canyon is the Paradox Formation, which was deposited approximately 320 million years ago.
Colorado River
The Colorado River , is a river in the Southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, approximately long, draining a part of the arid regions on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains. The watershed of the Colorado River covers in parts of seven U.S. states and two Mexican states...
located within Canyonlands National Park
Canyonlands National Park
Canyonlands National Park is a U.S. National Park located in southeastern Utah near the town of Moab and preserves a colorful landscape eroded into countless canyons, mesas and buttes by the Colorado River, the Green River, and their respective tributaries. The park is divided into four districts:...
and Glen Canyon National Recreation Area
Glen Canyon National Recreation Area
Glen Canyon National Recreation Area is a recreation and conservation unit of the National Park Service that encompasses the area around Lake Powell and lower Cataract Canyon in Utah and Arizona, covering 1,254,429 acres of mostly desert...
in Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
. It begins on the upstream end at the confluence with the Green River
Green River (Utah)
The Green River, located in the western United States, is the chief tributary of the Colorado River. The watershed of the river, known as the Green River Basin, covers parts of Wyoming, Utah, and Colorado. The Green River is long, beginning in the Wind River Mountains of Wyoming and flowing...
and ends at the confluence of the Dirty Devil River
Dirty Devil River
The Dirty Devil River is a long tributary of the Colorado River, located in the U.S. state of Utah. It flows through southern Utah from the confluence of Fremont River and Muddy Creek to the Colorado River.-Course:...
. The lower half of the canyon is submerged beneath Lake Powell
Lake Powell
Lake Powell is a huge reservoir on the Colorado River, straddling the border between Utah and Arizona . It is the second largest man-made reservoir in the United States behind Lake Mead, storing of water when full...
when the lake is at its normal high water elevation of 3700 feet (1,127.8 m)
Whitewater rafting
Cataract Canyon is a popular whitewater rafting destination. The rapids in the canyon are generally considered "big water", with a character similar to those found in the Grand CanyonGrand Canyon
The Grand Canyon is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in the United States in the state of Arizona. It is largely contained within the Grand Canyon National Park, the 15th national park in the United States...
. Cataract Canyon is rated on the river scale of one to five, unlike the Grand Canyon which is rated on the scale of one to ten. Also unlike the Grand Canyon, the flow of the Colorado River
Colorado River
The Colorado River , is a river in the Southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, approximately long, draining a part of the arid regions on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains. The watershed of the Colorado River covers in parts of seven U.S. states and two Mexican states...
through Cataract Canyon is generally unregulated. The river flow can reach extreme levels during the spring runoff in years following plentiful snow throughout the Colorado River watershed. During an average spring runoff, the Colorado River will peak at approximately 52000 cuft/s. The maximum recorded flow of 114900 cuft/s occurred on May 27, 1984. The rapids of Cataract Canyon become difficult at flows above 30000 cuft/s and extreme at flows above 50000 cuft/s.
Most rapids in Cataract Canyon are simply named from upstream to downstream as Rapid 1, Rapid 2, etc. However, some rapids within the canyon have separate names due to their location or notoriety. Particularly notorious are the "Big Drops", a set of three rapids in short succession named "Big Drop 1", "Big Drop 2" and "Big Drop 3". During high water, these three rapids essentially run together to form one very large rapid. These rapids contain many large hydraulic features including, "Little Niagara", "Satan's Gut",and "The Claw". During times of high runoff, the National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
sometimes establishes a camp below the big drops and uses a jet boat to facilitate rescues of capsized rafts and their passengers. However,it is generally understood by seasoned river runners that all should 'self-rescue' and not depend on the NPS for support.
Cataract Canyon historically contained several rapids which are currently submerged beneath Lake Powell
Lake Powell
Lake Powell is a huge reservoir on the Colorado River, straddling the border between Utah and Arizona . It is the second largest man-made reservoir in the United States behind Lake Mead, storing of water when full...
and have been buried in lake sediment. Gypsum Canyon Rapid and Dark Canyon Rapid in particular were considered very difficult rapids to navigate.
River trips which run Cataract Canyon must also run one of the flatwater sections above the confluence of the Green River
Green River (Utah)
The Green River, located in the western United States, is the chief tributary of the Colorado River. The watershed of the river, known as the Green River Basin, covers parts of Wyoming, Utah, and Colorado. The Green River is long, beginning in the Wind River Mountains of Wyoming and flowing...
and the Colorado River. Most groups launch at Potash (on the Colorado River) or Mineral Bottom (on the Green River) and spend up to 5 days on the river before entering Cataract Canyon. Motorized trips can make the trip into Cataract Canyon in substantially less time, often one day. In addition to the flatwater at the beginning of the trip, all groups must traverse Lake Powell
Lake Powell
Lake Powell is a huge reservoir on the Colorado River, straddling the border between Utah and Arizona . It is the second largest man-made reservoir in the United States behind Lake Mead, storing of water when full...
before reaching the take-out at the Dirty Devil River
Dirty Devil River
The Dirty Devil River is a long tributary of the Colorado River, located in the U.S. state of Utah. It flows through southern Utah from the confluence of Fremont River and Muddy Creek to the Colorado River.-Course:...
or Hite Marina. Depending on the water level in Lake Powell, up to 35 miles (56.3 km) of lake water may be encountered by groups exiting the canyon.
A number of commercial outfitters offer guided trips through Cataract Canyon. These trips vary in length between 1 day and 6 days and utilize both motorized and non-motorized vessels. Private groups are required to obtain a permit from the National Park Service prior to embarking on a Cataract Canyon trip.
History
Native Americans, most likely of the Fremont cultureFremont culture
The Fremont culture or Fremont people is a pre-Columbian archaeological culture which received its name from the Fremont River in the U.S. state of Utah where the first Fremont sites were discovered. The Fremont River itself is named for John Charles Frémont, an American explorer. It inhabited...
, inhabited the Canyonlands area long before European settlers reached the area. Rock art and ruins have been found in Cataract Canyon that are at least 800-years old.
Because of the remote location, it was some time before European explorers and settlers reached the area. The Colorado River and its canyons was more of a blockade to travel than a destination to be explored. The first recorded European to reach Cataract Canyon was a fur trapper named Denis Julien
Denis Julien (trapper)
Denis Julien was an American fur trapper of French Huguenot origin who was active in the southwestern United States in the 1830s and 1840s, one of the few Europeans in the area at the time...
in 1836. Julien carved his name into a rock wall in Cataract Canyon.
The first organized exploration to travel through Cataract Canyon was the Powell Expedition
Powell Geographic Expedition of 1869
The Powell Geographic Expedition was a groundbreaking 19th century U.S. exploratory expedition of the American West, led by John Wesley Powell in 1869, that provided the first-ever thorough investigation of the Green and Colorado rivers, including the first known passage through the Grand Canyon...
in 1869. The Powell Expedition was led by John Wesley Powell
John Wesley Powell
John Wesley Powell was a U.S. soldier, geologist, explorer of the American West, and director of major scientific and cultural institutions...
, a one-armed Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
veteran who launched in wooden boats near Green River, Wyoming
Green River, Wyoming
Green River is a city in and the county seat of Sweetwater County, Wyoming, United States, in the southwestern part of the state. The population was 11,808 at the 2000 census....
and traveled down the Green River
Green River (Utah)
The Green River, located in the western United States, is the chief tributary of the Colorado River. The watershed of the river, known as the Green River Basin, covers parts of Wyoming, Utah, and Colorado. The Green River is long, beginning in the Wind River Mountains of Wyoming and flowing...
to its confluence with the Colorado River at the top of Cataract Canyon. The rapids of Cataract Canyon terrified Powell and his men. The expedition portaged their boats around every rapid in the canyon, a difficult and arduous task. Because of the difficulty of the rapids, Powell named the canyon Cataract Canyon. After exiting Cataract Canyon, Powell continued his trip downstream through Glen Canyon, now submerged by Lake Powell
Lake Powell
Lake Powell is a huge reservoir on the Colorado River, straddling the border between Utah and Arizona . It is the second largest man-made reservoir in the United States behind Lake Mead, storing of water when full...
, ultimately running the Grand Canyon
Grand Canyon
The Grand Canyon is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in the United States in the state of Arizona. It is largely contained within the Grand Canyon National Park, the 15th national park in the United States...
before ending his trip near the mouth of the Virgin River
Virgin River
The Virgin River is a tributary of the Colorado River in the U.S. states of Utah, Nevada, and Arizona. The river is about long. It was designated Utah's first wild and scenic river in 2009, during the centennial celebration of Zion National Park.-Course:...
.
Other river runners would soon follow. Nathanial Galloway made numerous trips through the canyon, beginning in 1894. Galloway would later go on to pioneer rowing techniques still used by river runners today. Brothers Emery and Ellsworth Kolb traveled through the canyon in 1911. The Kolb brothers eventually established a studio on the south rim of the Grand Canyon where they featured videos of their exploits running the rapids of the Grand Canyon and Cataract Canyon. "Buzz" Holmstrom made a solo trip through Cataract Canyon and the Grand Canyon in 1937, eventually ending at the newly constructed Hoover Dam
Hoover Dam
Hoover Dam, once known as Boulder Dam, is a concrete arch-gravity dam in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River, on the border between the US states of Arizona and Nevada. It was constructed between 1931 and 1936 during the Great Depression and was dedicated on September 30, 1935, by President...
. The first commercial outfitter to offer trips through Cataract Canyon was Norman Nevills
Norman Nevills
Norman D. Nevills was a pioneer of commercial river-running in the American Southwest, particularly the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. He led trips including Dr. Elzada Clover and Lois Jotter, the first two women to successfully float the Grand Canyon, and Barry Goldwater.Nevills was the...
in 1938. The advent of rubber rafts came about in the early 1950s with the availability of surplus rubber rafts from World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. River Runners found the rubber rafts easier to maneuver and much more forgiving than their wooden counterparts. With this newer equipment, many commercial outfitters began running the Grand Canyon and Cataract Canyon.
Geology
Colorado Plateau
The Colorado Plateau, also called the Colorado Plateau Province, is a physiographic region of the Intermontane Plateaus, roughly centered on the Four Corners region of the southwestern United States. The province covers an area of 337,000 km2 within western Colorado, northwestern New Mexico,...
, a broad area comprising much of the American Southwest. Until approximately 80 million years ago, the Colorado Plateau was near sea level. Over millions of years, a series of inland oceans transgressed onto and regressed from the region, resulting in a series of horizontally deposited rock layers. Approximately 70 to 80 million years ago, a series of mountain building events called the Laramide orogeny
Laramide orogeny
The Laramide orogeny was a period of mountain building in western North America, which started in the Late Cretaceous, 70 to 80 million years ago, and ended 35 to 55 million years ago. The exact duration and ages of beginning and end of the orogeny are in dispute, as is the cause. The Laramide...
uplifted the entire region. The Colorado River subsequently cut through the rock layers, exposing them. The oldest rock layer visible in Cataract Canyon is the Paradox Formation, which was deposited approximately 320 million years ago.
See also
- Canyonlands National ParkCanyonlands National ParkCanyonlands National Park is a U.S. National Park located in southeastern Utah near the town of Moab and preserves a colorful landscape eroded into countless canyons, mesas and buttes by the Colorado River, the Green River, and their respective tributaries. The park is divided into four districts:...
- List of whitewater rivers