A 30-mile portion of the Colorado River that flows through Lake Mead National Recreation Area has been designated as a National Water Trail by Interior Secretary Sally Jewell.
“This recognition places the Black Canyon Water Trail in a distinctive national network of exemplary water trails and commends the efforts of the local community and partners in promoting active involvement in the conservation of our water resources,” Jewell wrote in a congratulatory letter to members of the Lower Colorado River Water Trail Alliance.
The alliance submitted the Black Canyon Water Trail application in 2012. Through this designation, it is one of 16 nationally recognized water trails nationwide. It is the first water trail in the Southwest and the first that traverses a desert.
Visitors can access the Black Canyon Water Trail through a guided tour at either the base of Hoover Dam, Willow Beach, Ariz., or near an old mining town in Eldorado Canyon.
“These trails provide an opportunity for families to get outside and explore some of our nation’s most beautiful waterways,” National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis said. “By highlighting them as part of the National Water Trails System, more visitors will have the opportunity to visit and add value to their local economies.