Jessica Crabtree

The oasis of Havasupai near the Grand Canyon is (in my opinion) one the the world’s most beautiful spots. It takes its name from the Havasu ‘Baaja nation (“people of the blue-green waters”) who make their home there. The minerals in the water cause its stunning color, which stands out even more against the glowing reds and oranges of the surrounding desert. The area is extremely remote and still relies on mule-pack for mail delivery!

Unfortunately its isolation has not been able to preserve its pristine condition entirely; the waters are polluted with radioactive runoff from local uranium mining – in fact tourists are advised not to swim in the lakes or drink from the water. Fortunately the united effort of many Indian nations of northern Arizona and New Mexico have be able to to put a temporary ban on uranium mining in the area in order to halt the further contamination of surface and ground water.

In 2008 the small town of Supai was briefly evacuated after a minor deluge caused by a combination of heavy rains and artificial diversions of flow water to the north. The event altered the courses of much of the source water for the falls, stopping the flow of some and creating others.

Below: Navajo Falls, one of the most-visited of Havasu’s water features, no longer flows after the 2008 flooding.

Click on the photo for a 1200 x1600 version (makes a great desktop background!)

Read more:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Havasupai

http://www.havasupaitribe.com/