Created in 1872 as the United States was recovering from the Civil War, Yellowstone was the first of the national parks that came to be referred to as America’s best idea. Now, the home to gushing geysers, thundering waterfalls and some of the country’s most plentiful and diverse wildlife is facing its biggest challenge in decades. Floodwaters this week wiped…
Flooding has already done extensive damage in other parks and is a threat to virtually all the more-than 400 national parks, a report by The Rocky Mountain Climate Organization found in 2009.
Congress allocated $178 million in emergency funds – a massive sum for park infrastructure at the time – and additional funding eventually surpassed $250 million, according to a 2013 report. It’s created by a unique natural formation of underground tubes and vents that push the hot water to the surface, and would be just one of many natural wonders crews would have to be careful not to disturb, said Brett Hartl, government affairs director at the Center for Biological Diversity.
Having to reroute the roadway that hugged the Gardner River could be an opportunity to better protect the waterway and the fish and other species that thrive there from oil and other microscopic pollution that comes from passing vehicles, Hartl said.The Yosemite flood was seen by the park as an opportunity to rethink its planning and not necessarily rebuild in the same places, said Frank Dean, president and chief executive of the Yosemite Conservancy and a former park ranger.
Yellowstone's recovery comes as a rapidly growing number of people line up to visit the country’s national parks, even as a backlog of deferred maintenance budget grows into tens of billions of dollars. The park was already due for funding from the Great American Outdoors Act, a 2020 law passed by Congress that authorizes nearly $3 billion for maintenance and other projects on public lands.
But the flood-damaged northern end may not reopen this year, depriving visitors from seeing Tower Fall and Lamar Valley, one of the best places in the world to see wolves and grizzly bears. Some days during the high season, an animal sighting can lead to thousands of people parked on the side of the road hoping to catch a glimpse.
Malaysia Latest News, Malaysia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Yellowstone flooding rebuild could take years, cost billionsFloodwaters this week wiped out numerous bridges, washed out miles of roads and closed the park as it approached peak tourist season during its 150th anniversary celebration.
Read more »
Yellowstone flooding rebuild could take years, cost billionsCreated in 1872 as the United States was recovering from the Civil War, Yellowstone was the first of the national parks that came to be referred to as America’s best idea. Now, the home to gushing geysers, thundering waterfalls and some of the country’s most plentiful and diverse wildlife is facing its biggest challenge in decades.
Read more »
From dry to deluge, how heavy snow, rain flooded YellowstoneRivers and creeks this week raged with water much higher and faster than even the rare benchmark 500 year flood.
Read more »
Yellowstone River flooding is a 1 in 500-year event, US Geological Survey saysThe devastating flooding that occurred along the Yellowstone River this week constitutes a 1 in 500 year event, according to a US Geological Survey news release.
Read more »
Yellowstone flooding threatens water supply in Montana's largest city, Billings'None of us planned a 500-year flood event on the Yellowstone when we designed these facilities,' said Debi Meling, Billings' public works director.
Read more »
Underground flood tunnels could cost $30 billion, Harris County Flood Control District saysA potential countywide stormwater conveyance tunnel system comes with a $30 billion price tag. That's a huge purchase, but here's the upside to tunnels.
Read more »