Wednesday, 2 July 2014
Havasu Creek is a stream in the U.S. state of Arizona associated with the Havasupai people. It is a tributary to the Colorado River, which it enters in the Grand Canyon. Havasu Creek starts out above the canyon wall as a small trickle of snow run-off and rain water. This water meanders on the plains above the canyon for about 50 miles until it enters Cataract (Havasu) Canyon. It then reaches Havasu Springs, where an underground river feeds the creek. This spring can be accessed by heading upstream when the creek is first encountered. The water stays at about 70 °F all year around. The creek is well known for its blue-green color and distinctive travertine formations. This is due to large amounts of calcium carbonate in the water that formed the limestone that lines the creek and reflects its color so strongly. This also gives the creek an interesting feature as it is ever changing. This occurs because any items that fall into the stream mineralize very quickly, causing new formations and changing the flow of the water. Source
