Deep Water Waterman keeps paddling. T e river turns into a lake. T is lake didn’t exist 50 years ago. Today, it’s huge. What changed? He paddles seven more days to find an


answer. A concrete cliff rises from the water. T e Glen Canyon Dam is like a wall. T e river backs up behind it, forming Lake Powell. T is is just one of many dams that block and change the river. T ese dams help millions of people.


Water from the lakes pours through pipes, away from the river and to faucets across the West. T e rest of the river rushes through small openings in the dams. Its movement turns engines that make hydroelectric power. T e electricity lights up many faraway cities.


Canyon Bound T e water doesn’t roar here. Instead, Waterman hears the hum of electricity. Bird calls echo off towering slabs of cement. Slimy algae drips through cracks. Waterman can’t wait to get past the dam. He knows a real treat lies ahead. In


Arizona, the river heads into one of the most famous places on Earth. It twists through the Grand Canyon. Here, the river really fl exes its muscle.


Over millions of years, the moving water has carved through solid rock. In some places, the Grand Canyon is more than 1.6 kilometers (1 mile) deep. In other places, it’s 29 kilometers (18 miles) wide.


fl exes its muscle: demonstrates its power


The river carved curves through ancient rock.


MAY 2011 21


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