Grand Canyon Water Crisis: Supporting the South Rim Community
As the South Rim faces ongoing water challenges due to extensive flash-flood damage to the Transcanyon Waterline, Grand Canyon Conservancy is expanding community support and bringing local leaders together to build greater resilience for the future.
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Grand Canyon Conservancy (GCC) is the official nonprofit partner of Grand Canyon National Park, working alongside the park to help protect and preserve Grand Canyon and support the people who live and work here.
That community support became especially important during the Dragon Bravo Fire, when GCC recognized an immediate need to help the Grand Canyon community through a difficult time. GCC began hosting regular community dinners, creating opportunities for residents and employees to come together, share a meal, connect, and support one another.
Those dinners have continued, and now, as the South Rim community faces significant challenges related to the current water situation, GCC is working to increase their frequency and expand that support.
GCC is also organizing and donating water for the South Rim community, with additional water donations and deliveries planned as needs continue to emerge.
At the same time, GCC recognizes that responding to these challenges requires more than meeting immediate needs. It also requires greater coordination and a longer-term approach to community resilience.
To help with that effort, Grand Canyon Conservancy is taking the lead in convening South Rim community leaders to develop a coalition focused on community responsiveness and resiliency. This group will bring together the organizations and individuals serving the South Rim community to better coordinate resources, identify gaps, strengthen communication, and build the capacity to respond to challenges.
While the current situation is a catalyst for bringing this group together, the vision extends beyond this moment. GCC believes the entire Grand Canyon community will benefit from having a coalition of local organizations working together over the long term to strengthen coordination, preparedness, and community resilience.
The Dragon Bravo Fire, the recent flooding, and now the water restrictions have placed extraordinary pressure on the people who live and work at Grand Canyon. Throughout these challenges, Grand Canyon Conservancy has continued to look for ways to support not only the park itself, but the community that makes Grand Canyon possible.
Photos by NPS