Part of Colorado River declared National Water Trail

A stretch of the Colorado River through the nation’s driest state has been named a National Water Trail by Interior Secretary Sally Jewell. The Black Canyon Water Trail, as it is now known, takes in a 30-mile stretch of the Colorado from the downstream side of Hoover Dam to the mouth of Eldorado Canyon, south of Boulder City. It is the first such designation of a boating trail in the Southwest and the first to traverse a desert. In announcing the designation Tuesday, Jewell said the scenic route through Black Canyon joins “a distinctive national network of exemplary water trails” that have won recognition since 2012 as part of a federal initiative to encourage tourism and stewardship. The stretch of river is already managed by the National Park Service as part of Lake Mead National Recreation Area. The designation comes with no additional money or restrictions on public access...more