Lava at Toroweap

Several faults cross the Colorado River near Toroweap Point and much volcanic activity has originated along these faults. As recently as 600,000 years ago there were lava flows that dammed the river for unknown periods of time. One of these flows produced a dam across the Colorado River over 2,000 feet high. If it lasted long enough, it would have produced a natural reservoir nearly 300 miles long! Its upper reaches would have been near Moab, Utah. Imagine the hissing, fiery scene when lava flowed into the river. Also imagine a failure of a dam such as this one, as the river eroded it and caused it to fail, possibly catastrophically! As dramatic as the Toroweap area is today these geologic cataclysms would have been, literally, earth shattering in comparison.

                   Notice the black lava flow entering the canyon from the right side of the picture. Lava Falls can be seen just over the tan boulders in the foreground