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Grand Canyon National Park
Key Messages – Week of August 15, 2022
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Community level still LOW–masking requirement indoors OPTIONAL
On Thursday, August 18, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated the Coconino County Community Level to LOW. People may choose to mask at any time. People with symptoms, a positive test, or exposure to someone with COVID-19 should wear a mask.
Updates on local community levels for Coconino County will be posted and updated on the main nps.gov/grca webpage under the ‘Alerts’ section. This information will be updated weekly on Thursdays by the CDC.
We will keep employees, our stakeholders, and the public informed of any new developments as soon as they become available. For those wishing to post this signage outside of buildings and in workspaces, please see the attached signage.
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Arizona and Grand Canyon Community Statistics
There were 10 new cases reported in the park this week. This week’s new cases bring the park total up to an estimated 362 cases, and 445 cases for the 86023 zip code, since the beginning of the pandemic.
Total COVID cases in Arizona for the week of August 4 to August 10 was 13,501. For the seven-day rolling average, the state is averaging 1,929 cases per day.
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Reporting COVID symptoms is critical to limiting exposure and keeping our staff and community safe.
As a reminder, be sure to promptly report any illness including possible COVID-19 symptoms, COVID exposure, or a positive COVID test to your supervisor and our Public Health Consultant, Lieutenant Commander Ronan King.
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Messages and Grand Canyon News
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Emergence Summit and NPS Director visit this week
This week from August 16 – 19, Grand Canyon co-hosted an economic work session, titled Emergence, with the Grand Canyon Trust and Grand Canyon Conservancy. Grand Canyon, the Grand Canyon Trust, and inter-tribal working groups identified the need to expand the dialog and opportunities for sustainable economic growth in the area surrounding the Grand Canyon, including within nearby tribal communities.
Director of the National Park Service, Chuck Sams, was also in the park for a few days this week, getting an overview of many park projects, and participating in the Emergence Summit. In addition to speaking with tribal leaders and representatives, the Director had opportunities to interact and engage with staff on the South Rim, Desert View, and Phantom Ranch.
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Water restrictions ease; repairs continue along Bright Angel Trail
As of Monday, August 15, we lifted mandatory water conservation measures on the South Rim when the storage tanks reached an acceptable refilling level.
Water crews successfully had water delivery returned at Supai Tunnel along the North Kaibab trail. Additionally, after more than a month of troubleshooting repairs, potable water is now available at Tusayan Museum.
Repairs continue to the pipeline break at Mile-and-a-Half Rest House this week and we are optimistic this break could be fixed as early as later this week. Water remains off at this location as well as the Three-Mile Resthouse.
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NPS Compost Crew recognized during Director’s visit
Matthew Snider, Compost Crew Leader at Grand Canyon National Park, was recently selected as the recipient of the 2021 National Park Service (NPS) Excellence in Natural Resource Stewardship through Maintenance award. During the NPS Director’s visit, Chuck Sams took time to appreciate the outstanding work done by the crew during an informal awards ceremony.
In 2021, the Compost Crew assisted in the evacuation of 22 tons of human compost from the more than 28 composting toilet facilities dispersed throughout the park. The team of four hike more than seven miles per day in a variety of weather conditions, ranging from temperatures over 118 degrees to well below freezing. Donning full body suits and protective gear, they transfer human compost out of the park’s remote backcountry which are helicoptered to Flagstaff, AZ and utilized as fertilizer for a nursey.
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Mather Campground Repaving Project begins following delays
The Mather Campground repaving project will officially begin Monday, August 22. Periodic closures will occur within Mather Campground and a fixed number of sites will be available to the public on a first-come, first-served basis.
The repaving will take place one loop at a time and campers booking reservations through www.recreation.gov will notice loop closures in effect beginning with the Juniper Loop. Work on the Juniper Loop is expected to take approximately 30 days, and then the Sage Loop will follow.
The paving project is one part of a two-year project to repair and repave all campground loops within Mather Campground. During this time, deteriorated asphalt will be removed, and contractors will lay new asphalt. Improvements to Mather Campground will preserve its integrity as a popular camping destination and will provide safe access to visitors for years to come.
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Phantom Ranch Wastewater Treatment Plant Construction Resumes
The construction crews are remobilizing in early September to begin the second phase of short-term repairs and upgrades to the Phantom Ranch Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP). A heavy-lift K-MAX helicopter will transport equipment into the canyon Sept. 1-2.
The contractor, GSE/Coventina Water, LLC. is anticipated to complete the project by late December. Upon project completion, the contractor will likely use a heavy-lift Chinook helicopter to transport equipment out of the canyon.
This phase of construction includes work inside the WWTP facilities and installing a percolation pond. The construction during this phase of the project is not expected to disrupt backcountry users until the Chinook helicopter is used to de-mobilize. During the Chinook usage, inner canyon trail users may experience temporary delays of up to 15 minutes, and noise and dust from equipment and helicopters.
The first phase of construction wrapped up in April 2022, which included the installation of new headworks and a manhole to facilitate the relocation of the headworks. These critical short-term upgrades will improve process performance and personnel safety.
Photo above: Director Sams visits Phantom Ranch this week for an overview on the Phantom Ranch Wastewater Treatment Plant and the Transcanyon Waterline. (NPS Photo)
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Trail of Time gets a facelift
Last week, the Trail of Time geology exhibit along the Canyon Rim Trail, received some needed maintenance! After 12 years of use, the asphalt and markers needed repair/replacement.
A team of two Trail of Time founders (Professors Karl Karlstrom and Laura Crossey from the University of New Mexico) and three UNM geology graduate students, worked for a week with Noelle, August, and Sheldon of Grand Canyon National Park’s Trail Crew. Between August 8 and 12, they repaired asphalt and reinstalled almost 100 of the 2500 markers along the timeline.
Thank you to Grand Canyon Conservancy who funded asphalt and repair materials, the Facilities and Maintenance Division who provided Trail Crew assistance and tools, and the Division of Interpretation and Resource Education who arranged for team member housing.
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Respiratory Protection – External Audit Prep
If you use N-95 or KN-95 masks on a voluntary basis to protect yourself from COVID, please ensure that you have coordinated with your supervisor to read the passage from 1910.134 Appendix D, and have the signed a roster for your section.
An active Respiratory Protection (RP) program requires an up-to-date written program indicating the type of respirator worn for each task, medical clearances that have been obtained within the past 3 years, and annual fit testing and training for each person wearing a respirator EVERY year.
The park has a written RP program, and if you wear a respirator or believe you should while conducting any aspect of your job and you do not have a copy of this program, please reach out to christina_ryan-miller@nps.gov.
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South Rim District Report Available
See what South Rim Patrol has been up to the last few weeks by reading the latest South Rim District Report here:
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Grand Canyon Community Corner
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Grand Canyon School celebrates fiber optic installation and project completion
After more than four years of development and many delays, the Grand Canyon Unified School District successfully brought fiber connectivity online in June of this year. Sixty-eight miles of fiber was installed, from Williams to the South Rim of Grand Canyon. The new fiber connectivity delivers bandwidth to students whose access to high-speed Internet lagged behind other Arizona schools.
To celebrate this achievement, the Grand Canyon School hosted a ceremony last week to acknowledge the partners and supporters who helped make this project possible. Funding for the $6.5 million project came largely from the federal government’s Universal Service Administration Corporation with its E-Rate program which provides discounts of up to 90 percent to libraries and schools in order to obtain Internet access in areas that are difficult to get services. Additional funding came from a state broadband initiative grant and Commnet Broadband.
We would like to thank the school administration, partners, teachers, students, and local residents who helped make this dream a reality for the students at the Grand Canyon School now, and for many years to come.
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Community Leadership Spotlight—Diana Rocha, Grand Canyon Food Pantry
Diana Rocha is the new sustainability coordinator working at the Food Pantry here in the Village. She will be working with the pantry for the next year as an Americorps VISTA volunteer.
Since 2016, Diana has worked with several communities and organizations in Texas and Ohio. This is where her passion for community and non-profit work began. Diana was part of Proyecto Latino in Ohio where she would voice the opinions and needs of the Latinx population at public demonstrations. While in Texas, Diana was part of the Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity (URGE). Diana’s role was to educate her local community about social, economic, environmental, and political issues. She also organized and took part of local events to help her community heal and grow from unfortunate events.
Diana, from a South Texas Bordertown, is excited to live and work at the Grand Canyon.¡Ella está emocionada por conocerlos y trabajar con ustedes este año!
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Town of Tusayan announces fall storytime schedule
Storytime and fun activities will continue for youth at the Tusayan Town Hall every Friday at 10 a.m.
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Canyon Closet grand reopening!
The Canyon Closet is a free clothing exchange that welcomes community members to donate or receive infant to adult clothing. A Grand Reopening event will be taking place next week Wednesday, August 24 from 5-7 p.m. on the north side of the Community Library. Current hours will be three days per week, Mondays, 4:15-6 p.m., Wednesdays, 12:15-2 p.m., and Saturdays from 3-5 p.m.
More information, including a full flyer for the event is available here.
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Community Blood Drive at Rec Center on September 16
The Rec Center will again be hosting a community blood drive through Vitalant on Friday, September 16 from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Appointments are suggested, and to schedule, individuals can visit www.donors.vitalant.org with blood drive code: “grandcyn.”
More information on this event can be found in the attached flyer and also through the Grand Canyon Rec Center.
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Current Operational Hours
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South Rim
Xanterra
- Maswik Lodge Cafeteria, 6:30 a.m.-8 p.m.
- Bright Angel Coffee Shop, 7 a.m.-11 a.m.
- Bright Angel Fountain grab and go, 11 a.m.- 3 p.m.
- Fred Harvey Burger, breakfast 8:00-10:30 a.m., lunch 11 a.m.- 3 p.m., dinner 4-9 p.m.
- The Arizona Steakhouse, Tuesday-Saturday from 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m.
- Fred Harvey Tavern, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.
- Grand Canyon Kennel-daily from 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m.
- The Grand Canyon Rec Center, 6:30 a.m.-10 p.m. daily.
- El Tovar Dining Room and Lounge
- Breakfast, 6:30-10:00 a.m.
- Lunch, 11:00 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
- Dinner, 4:30-9:30 p.m.
- Lounge, 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m.
- Patio (limited menu), 11 a.m.-8 p.m.
- Fred Harvey Food Truck, located in front of the El Tovar/Hopi House Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. (weather permitting)
Delaware North
- Yavapai Lodge Tavern and Patio, 12-10 p.m.
- Yavapai Lodge Coffee Shop, 6:30 a.m.-2 p.m.
- Canyon Village Market, 7 a.m.-8 p.m., Deli-7 a.m.-5 p.m.
- Camper Services: Laundry and shower hours, 7 a.m. – 9 p.m.
- The Yavapai Dining Hall, breakfast, 7 a.m.-10:45 a.m., dinner, 5 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Other
- Grand Canyon Clinic: 7 days a week, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
- Bright Angel Bikes
- Rental: 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
- Cafe-8 a.m.-6 p.m.
- Grand Canyon Visitor Center (GCVC): Daily from 8 a.m.-4 p.m., operations held outside of the GCVC building
- Grand Canyon Conservancy stores: Visitor Center Plaza, 8 a.m.-7 p.m. daily, Yavapai Geology Museum, Verkamps, and Kolb Studio 8 a.m.-6 p.m. daily.,
- Kennel Operations: Overnight boarding is only available from Friday through Sunday nights. Pick-ups and day boarding are available on Mondays. Contact Xanterra Switchboard or Xanterra Fire and Security for afterhours pick-ups.
- Grand Canyon Community Library: Monday-Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Desert View
- Desert View Trading Post Coffee and Ice Cream and Market, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily
- Desert View Watchtower, 8 a.m.-6 p.m. daily.
- The Desert View Deli, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- The Desert View Service Station Retail Store, daily from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
- Desert View Information Table (staffed by NPS), 9 a.m.-4 p.m. (as staffing levels allow).
North Rim
- North Rim Lodge Dining Room, Breakfast: 6:30-10 a.m., Lunch: 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., Dinner: 4:30-9:45 p.m.
- In addition to regular breakfast service in the dining room, the Grand Canyon Lodge at North Rim is offering a breakfast buffet daily from 6:30-8:00 a.m.
- Deli in the Pines, 10 a.m.-9 p.m.
- Roughrider Saloon, 11 a.m.-11 p.m.
- Coffee Saloon, 5:30-10:30 a.m.
- North Rim General Store: 7 a.m.-8 p.m., planning on closing October 15, 2022 for the winter season
- North Rim Service Station, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
- GCC Bookstore/Visitor Center, 8 a.m.-6 p.m., beginning August 21, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily
- Roaring Springs Kiosk information, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
The following closures are in place:
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Photo Credits (in order of appearance)
- View from Point Imperial during a monsoon storm (NPS Photo/J. Baird)
- Collage from Chuck Sams visit to Grand Canyon. Top left, Director Sams gets an orientation to water utilities and pipeline repairs in Grand Canyon from FMD staff. Top right, Director Sams presenting at the Emergence Summit at the Albright Training Center. Bottom right, Director Sams meets with inner canyon staff and PEP at Phantom Ranch. Bottom left, Director Sams visits the Desert View Watchtower and meets with tribal members and NPS staff. (NPS Photos/M. Quinn)
- The compost crew stands next to Director Sams during an informal awards ceremony on Thursday. Shayne Rasumussen, trails supervisor, (second from left), accepted the award on behalf of Matt Snider who could not be in attendance. (NPS Photo/M. Quinn)
- A deteriorated piece of asphalt in Mather Campground (NPS Photo)
- Trail of Time workers repair deteriorated sections of pavement (NPS Photo)
- Fiber optic dedication ceremony at Grand Canyon School on August 11 (NPS Photo/J. Baird)
- Diana Rocha, sustainability coordinator for the Grand Canyon Food Pantry (Photo courtesy of D. Rocha)
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Grand Canyon National Park, in northern Arizona, encompasses 278 miles (447 km) of the Colorado River and adjacent uplands. Located on the ancestral homeland of 11 Associated Tribes, Grand Canyon is one of the most spectacular examples of erosion anywhere in the world—unmatched in the incomparable vistas it offers visitors on the rim. Grand Canyon National Park is a World Heritage Site. The National Park Service cares for the special places saved by the American people so that all may experience our heritage.
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