GRAND CANYON, AZ (AZFamily) — Crews were making progress repairing the Grand Canyon’s water system after last month’s deadly flood when a second flash flood tore through the area Wednesday afternoon, damaging the temporary repairs and forcing a new setback in the recovery effort.
The flooding hit along Bright Angel Creek, 13 miles along the Colorado River, from Asbestos Canyon to near the Dana Butte and the North Rim Campground.
Flash flood warnings were issued ahead of the storm, so the number of workers in the canyon was scaled back. Those who were in the canyon reached safety before the water hit, the National Park Service said, and no one was hurt.
The North Rim and Highway 67 were closed but reopened Thursday around noon.
Assessing the damage
On Thursday morning, the NPS Incident Management Team began assessing the damage, focusing on the temporary Bright Angel Creek water intake and related infrastructure.
That temporary system was under construction to help restore service after last month’s flood knocked out the Transcanyon Waterline, which supplies water to the South Rim.
Once the assessment is complete, crews will determine what repairs or changes are needed, and how this latest setback affects the timeline for restoring reliable water service to the South Rim.
There is some good news: the new pipeline infrastructure on the canyon’s south side escaped damage in both floods, and the park says it’s continuing to work toward bringing that system online as quickly as possible.
Water conservation still critical
In the meantime, officials say water conservation remains essential, with stage 4 water restrictions still in place after August’s flash flood severely damaged the legacy pipeline.
Visitors are asked to:
- Use designated portable bathrooms, handwashing stations and potable water tanks
- Bring their own water for drinking and other needs when possible
To reduce demand on the South Rim system, the park has also deployed potable-water tanks, bottled drinking water, handwashing stations, portable showers, laundry facilities and portable toilets throughout the community.
Officials are asking residents, employees, visitors, businesses and partners to continue conserving.
Last month’s deadly flooding
Last month’s flash flooding tore through the canyon as many were visiting or hiking, trapping more than 80 people when it hit the Phantom Ranch area, Bright Angel Creek and the Cottonwood Campground.
Three men — Dr. John Giusti, Brent Rosenkranz and Timothy Allen Smith — were traveling together when they were caught in the floodwaters.
The bodies of Giusti and Rosenkranz were recovered days after the flooding. Remains recovered near Crystal Rapids earlier this week were identified as Smith.
See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it.
Do you have a photo or video of a breaking news story? Send it to us here with a brief description.
Copyright 2026 KTVK/KPHO. All rights reserved.
