River Campsites in Grand Canyon National Park
Sandbars have been used as campsites by river runners and hikers since the first expeditions to the region more than 100 years ago. Sandbar campsites continue to be an important part of the recreational experience for the more than 25,000 hikers and river runners that visit the Colorado River corridor each year. Because the Colorado River is dominated by bedrock cliffs and steep talus slopes, sandbars provide unique areas along the river that are flat, relatively free of vegetation, easily accessible by river runners, and able to withstand high usage with negligible impact.
Campsite Monitoring
Since 1990, the Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center in cooperation with Northern Arizona University has been monitoring sandbars by topographic survey (https://www.gcmrc.gov/sandbar/). Beginning in 1998, campsite area has also been measured on a subset of the sandbar monitoring sites. Campsite areas are defined as areas that are flat (less than 8 degree slope), smooth (not rocky), and clear of dense vegetation. This monitoring has shown changes in campsite area caused by vegetation expansion and sandbar erosion/deposition.
Data and Resources
Campsites in Grand Canyon National Park:
Web application for viewing campsites and other geospatial data in Grand Canyon: https://grandcanyon.usgs.gov/gisapps/cmv-app-master-wret/viewer/index.html
Web application for viewing the predicted level of inundation for a 41,000 ft3/s high-flow experiment: https://grandcanyon.usgs.gov/portal/home/webmap/viewer.html?webmap=13c8070db92046d4ac3825decb1f0ca7
Sandbar and campsite monitoring photographs: https://grandcanyon.usgs.gov/gisapps/sandbarphotoviewer/RemoteCameraTimeSeries.html
Grand Canyon River Guides Adopt-a-beach photographs: https://grandcanyon.usgs.gov/gisapps/adopt-a-beach/index.html
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
River Geomorphology and Geomorphic Change
Airborne Remote Sensing in Grand Canyon
Sediment Storage in Grand Canyon
High-Flow Experiments on the Colorado River
Grand Canyon Sandbar Monitoring
Below are data or web applications associated with this project.
Geomorphology and Campsite Data, Colorado River, Marble and Grand Canyon, Arizona
Below are publications associated with this project.
Quantifying geomorphic and vegetation change at sandbar campsites in response to flow regulation and controlled floods, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
Geomorphology and vegetation change at Colorado River campsites, Marble and Grand Canyons, Arizona
Automated remote cameras for monitoring alluvial sandbars on the Colorado River in Grand Canyon, Arizona
Colorado River campsite monitoring, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, 1998-2012
Sandbar response in Marble and Grand Canyons, Arizona, following the 2008 high-flow experiment on the Colorado River
Sandbars have been used as campsites by river runners and hikers since the first expeditions to the region more than 100 years ago. Sandbar campsites continue to be an important part of the recreational experience for the more than 25,000 hikers and river runners that visit the Colorado River corridor each year. Because the Colorado River is dominated by bedrock cliffs and steep talus slopes, sandbars provide unique areas along the river that are flat, relatively free of vegetation, easily accessible by river runners, and able to withstand high usage with negligible impact.
Campsite Monitoring
Since 1990, the Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center in cooperation with Northern Arizona University has been monitoring sandbars by topographic survey (https://www.gcmrc.gov/sandbar/). Beginning in 1998, campsite area has also been measured on a subset of the sandbar monitoring sites. Campsite areas are defined as areas that are flat (less than 8 degree slope), smooth (not rocky), and clear of dense vegetation. This monitoring has shown changes in campsite area caused by vegetation expansion and sandbar erosion/deposition.
Data and Resources
Campsites in Grand Canyon National Park:
Web application for viewing campsites and other geospatial data in Grand Canyon: https://grandcanyon.usgs.gov/gisapps/cmv-app-master-wret/viewer/index.html
Web application for viewing the predicted level of inundation for a 41,000 ft3/s high-flow experiment: https://grandcanyon.usgs.gov/portal/home/webmap/viewer.html?webmap=13c8070db92046d4ac3825decb1f0ca7
Sandbar and campsite monitoring photographs: https://grandcanyon.usgs.gov/gisapps/sandbarphotoviewer/RemoteCameraTimeSeries.html
Grand Canyon River Guides Adopt-a-beach photographs: https://grandcanyon.usgs.gov/gisapps/adopt-a-beach/index.html
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
River Geomorphology and Geomorphic Change
Airborne Remote Sensing in Grand Canyon
Sediment Storage in Grand Canyon
High-Flow Experiments on the Colorado River
Grand Canyon Sandbar Monitoring
Below are data or web applications associated with this project.
Geomorphology and Campsite Data, Colorado River, Marble and Grand Canyon, Arizona
Below are publications associated with this project.