Black Canyon of the Colorado

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Black Canyon, photographed in 1871

The Black Canyon is the canyon where Hoover Dam was built. It is located on the Colorado River in the United States. The Nevada and Arizona border is right in the middle of the Colorado River. Black Canyon is surrounded by the El Dorado Mountains, which were formed about 15 million years ago during the Miocene Basin and Range uplift. Black Canyon gets its name from the black volcanic rocks that are found throughout the area.

Below the dam, swift currents can exist, depending on water releases. Several boaters have drowned in this stretch. Inexperienced boaters should be accompanied by a certified guide and should not attempt this stretch alone. Also, when canoeing or kayaking down Black Canyon you must be aware that water releases could take your boat away.^{[citation needed]}

Just south of the Hoover Dam on the Nevada side of the canyon is the Sauna Cave. This cave was drilled by miners working on Hoover Dam while it was being constructed. It is a deep cave with calcium carbonate crystals on the walls. At the end of the cave is a hot spring, which causes temperatures in the cave to reach 120 °F (49 °C).^{[citation needed]}

One prominent canyon that splits from this canyon south of the Hoover Dam is Boy Scout Canyon. Boy Scout Canyon has water running through it that is warmed from a geothermal source. In various places in Boy Scout Canyon you need to climb rope already affixed to the rock and wade through water to get higher up the canyon.^{[citation needed]}

On the Arizona side of the river, there are several large hot springs that can be found by taking a trail north from a larger bay about 4 to 5 miles (6.4 to 8.0 km) south of the Hoover Dam. Special precautions however must be made when sitting in the hot pools due to the presence of the harmful and potentially fatal amoeba known as Naegleria fowleri. There are signs warning of this amoeba before the hot springs, such as in Boy Scout Canyon, but they are old and faded.

When going down Black Canyon, you may spot desert bighorn as well as other native wildlife. You may also see archaeological and mining artifacts from decades past. Throughout the Canyon you will also see volcanic rock, which came forth 20-40 million years ago.^{[citation needed]}

External links

• Black Canyon Wilderness Area Information on Black Canyon and its natural history.

References

Coordinates: 35°48′20″N 114°42′42″W / 35.80556°N 114.71167°W / 35.80556; -114.71167