To be impacted by my destination without impacting it.
The Grand Canyon is daunting, massive and intimidating, but completely affected by man. It was carved by the Colorado River provides water and electricity for over 30 million people in the Southwestern United States. The portion of the Colorado which runs through the Grand Canyon is affected by the Glen Canyon Dam to the North and the Hoover dam which creates Lake Mead in the South. These dams have had lasting effects throughout time.
Beaches are smaller. Due to the lack of natural floods and demand for continuous water supply to the South of the Grand Canyon sediment is no longer consistently deposited on beaches and the land area is diminishing. This depletion of a crucial ecosystem is not only affecting wildlife, but visitors as well.
Because of the cold (50 degree) water released from the bottom of the Glen Canyon Dam, native Humpbacked Chub no longer have warm enough water to spawn in the actual Colorado River and now are limited to the Little Colorado.