Grand Canyon Weekly Wrap-up — July 11-15, 2022

Community level HIGH–masking requirement indoors remains in place

As of Thursday, July 14, Coconino County has transitioned into High Community Level and masking requirements will remain in place through at least Thursday, July 21. As a reminder Community Level is a metric of a community’s ability to medically deal with COVID and non-COVID cases. The NPS has informed park units that we must follow the CDC’s recommendations, and if we are in High Community Level, we will require masks indoors.

Wearing masks continues to be the best way to protect ourselves, our loved ones, and our work colleagues from getting the virus. Therefore, the decision to maintain masking, even despite a transition to Medium community level last week, was made out an abundance of caution and to ensure that the community, park employees, and visitors were being protected and kept as safe as possible.

Ultimately, park leadership wants the mask mandate to be based on sound, science-based decisions, as well as CDC and NPS policy. Going forward we expect to closely adhere to these practices and policies, even if that means imposing and removing a mask mandate on a weekly basis.

We recognize the frustration around masking and these restrictions. However, we are also trying to make sound decisions and ultimately, have the community’s interest and safety in mind.

Coconino County continues to be in the High Community Transmission and now all 15 Arizona counties are in High. Across the United States, 92% of counties are in High.

For Community Level, in Arizona 10 counties are in High, 2 are in Medium, and 3 are in Low. Across the Unites States, 35% of counties are now in High and 39% are in Medium.

Beginning Monday, August 1, the NPS Road Crew will be closing the 328-A spur road at the Grand Canyon National Park southwest boundary in order to replace and expand an existing cattle guard. Rowe Well Road, inside the park, will remain open, but a hard closure at the NPS boundary will prevent traffic from entering/departing the park. Access to Supai Camp and the Waldron Trailhead from the north will not be affected.

Concrete barriers and cones will be erected on either side of the worksite and any traffic attempting to access the park from the 328 road will need to use South Entrance (Hwy 64) instead. Work is expected to be completed on or about August 12, 2022.

Last week we received the unfortunate news that invasive and non-native smallmouth bass were found below the Glen Canyon Dam. As many of you know, the fish community in Grand Canyon is currently dominated by native species. In a large river this is an incredibly rare situation, especially in the Colorado River.

There is an increased threat of invasive fish establishing in the Grand Canyon from an increasing number of these fish passing through the Glen Canyon Dam, as well as rising temperatures in the river below the dam. Both issues are due to the lower elevation in Lake Powell this year.

To prevent the establishment of these warmwater invasive fish, it is very important to have a rapid response. Studies of past invasive species establishment in new areas show that rapid actions are much more effective. With each year the chances of establishment increase significantly, and after several years the situation may become irreversible.

Grand Canyon is currently working on a coordinated response with Glen Canyon and with other management agencies such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Arizona Game and Fish Department. While plans are being developed, biologists have placed nets to attempt to contain the spread of the species. We are also working to alert anglers along the Colorado River to help identify and report smallmouth bass. The flyer (as seen above) is available here.

Village Ranger Program Schedule Changes Starting Sunday, July 17

9 am: Attend the “Geo Glimpse” program to gain insight into Grand Canyon’s unique geologic story. Meet in front of Yavapai Geology Museum. Program duration: 30 minutes. Presented daily.

5 pm: Ranger’s Choice program. Join us for a surprise program. Topics change daily. Come curious, leave inspired! Meet in front of Yavapai Geology Museum. Program duration: 30 minutes. Presented daily.

8 pm: Evening Program. The topic is chosen by the ranger. Programs are held at McKee Amphitheater – behind park headquarters. Program duration: 1 hour. Presented daily. Start times will change as the days become shorter.

Ranger program schedules and topics are posted on signs at the Visitor Center and throughout the village. All programs are free of charge and children must be accompanied by an adult on all programs. All programs are subject to cancellation due to inclement weather or when lightning danger is present. For a full list of programs, visit our park’s website here.

PEP Community Meeting recording now available

As of late last week, a recording of the two community meetings from the Projects and Environmental Planning (PEP) Division are now available on the NPS.gov website. Two meetings were held late last month to brief the Grand Canyon and Tusayan communities on the next few years of construction activities at Grand Canyon National Park. These projects include the Transcanyon Waterline, South Rim Helibase expansion, the South Rim Wastewater Treatment Plant, and the electrical grid.

The meetings provided opportunities for community members and other interested stakeholders to learn about projects and get their questions answered. A Q&A document capturing commonly asked questions as well as questions asked at the community meetings will be made available in late July.

Project update-Grand Canyon school fiber project

Last month, Commnet completed a fiber optics project that will now bring improved high-speed capability and bandwidth to the Grand Canyon School from Williams. Now that Commnet has completed the fiber optic project servicing the school, the park is exploring ways to utilize the incoming improved telecommunications services for park administrative functions.

New NPS owned/operated telecommunications infrastructure may be installed, or additional telecommunications infrastructure owned and operated by a commercial entity could occur–which must be authorized through the Right-of-Way permitting process. A sub-group of park staff from the Telecommunications Inter-Disciplinary Team are meeting later this month to identify next steps for improving telecommunications capabilities for Grand Canyon.

We will keep park staff and our community informed of the progression of this project, as well as other future telecommunications updates.

On Thursday, July 14, and Friday, July 15, 2022, meet Phyllis Coonsis – Zuni Silversmith, and Gwen Setalla – Hopi Potter.  Ask at Desert View’s outdoor visitor center for their location.

• Phyllis Coonsis. is a third-generation silversmith, having learned from family members, including her grandmother, Myra Qualo. Her signature designs use arrays of multi-colored stones to create unique jewelry. Phyllis says, “In each piece I try to apply a contemporary style, while still maintaining traditional Zuni designs”.
• Gwen Setalla comes from a family of Hopi potters who have passed down the skill from generation to generation. Her family taught her how to gather and process the clay, prepare paints, and fire the finished product with sheep dung. She is known for her very fine-lined designs, like those found on old pottery shards from the Hopi villages.

For more information on the Cultural Demonstrators Program, including the full summer schedule, visit the park’s webpage here.

Hazardous Materials Accumulations & Disposals – External Audit Prep

Do you have hazardous materials that you deem waste or surplus and need to dispose of them?

Identify these as such on your Hazardous Material Inventory and contact kim_park@nps.gov to coordinate movement and disposal.

The NPS roads crew has been hard at work the last few weeks re-striping roadways within the Grand Canyon residential and visitor areas. No major traffic delays are expected and weather dependent, the project should be completed within the next several weeks.

North Rim Butterfly Count being held on July 16

On Saturday, July 16, the North Rim staff and butterfly enthusiasts will lead a citizen butterfly count beginning at 9 a.m.

For NPS staff, free administrative camping is available at CC Hill. Please email grca_housing@nps.gov if you plan to camp.

More information on this event can be found in the attached flyer here.

Volunteers needed for training drill at Tusayan Airport July 27

The Grand Canyon Airport in Tusayan will be conducted a large-scale training drill on Wednesday, July 27. The airport is currently looking for volunteers to be patients for the drill. Lunch and community service hours will be available for all volunteers.

More information on this event can be found in this flyer.

Job Opportunities at the Grand Canyon Conservancy

Multiple positions are now open to work for Grand Canyon’s official non-profit partner, the Grand Canyon Conservancy. Open vacancies include Marketing Coordinator, Marketing Manager, and Field Institute Instructor.

For more details and to apply, visit GCC’s webpage here.

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.
• Grand Canyon Rec Center, daily from 8 a.m.-9 p.m.
• 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.
• The Fred Harvey Food Truck has reopened as of Tuesday, July 12. Located in front of El Tovar / Hopi House, this service will be available Sunday through Thursday from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm (weather permitting).

Delaware North

• Yavapai Lodge Tavern and Patio, 12-10 p.m.
• Yavapai Lodge Coffee Shop, 7 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-Friday from 10:30 a.m.-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, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily. Starting Sunday, July 17, the Desert View Watchtower will be open from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. daily. GCC is optimistic to have these hours in place through fall 2022.
• The Desert View Deli, 11 a.m. to 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 now offering a breakfast buffet daily from 6:30 am to 8:00 am to better accommodate high demand
• 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.
• North Rim Service Station, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
• GCC Bookstore/Visitor Center, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.
• Roaring Springs Kiosk information, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

The following closures are in place:

• Maswik South Lodging
• Maswik Pizza Pub

Please visit the Grand Canyon National Park website for a complete list of closures and available amenities.

• Sunset from the South Rim on Saturday, July 9 (NPS Photo/M. Quinn)
• The existing cattleguard at the southwest boundary will be expanded and replaced beginning August 1 (NPS Photo/J. Venn)
• Smallmouth bass alert flyer (NPS File)
• A water utilities crew member works to repair a broken section of waterline near Phantom Ranch (NPS Photo)
• Cultural Demonstrators at Desert View this week Thursday and Friday (NPS Photos)
• Striping project on Village Loop Road near the train tracks (NPS Photo/J. Venn)
• North Rim Butterfly Count Flyer (NPS File)