GEOLOGIC HAZARDS IN ZION PARK, NEARBY AREAS, FOCUS OF STUDY
sltrib.com
The geologic wonders of Zion National Park were created by rock slides, earthquakes, landslides, flooding and debris flows. But those forces are a threat to tourists and people who live in surrounding towns and along the popular highway leading into the park.
A recently completed survey of the region, based on existing maps of the hazard-prone areas, will help park managers protect visitors as they plan future construction. The study, by the Utah Geologic Survey, took two years to complete.
Carol Harlan, who lives in Rockville, near the park, said she and her husband have traveled to take photos near dust clouds that signal a rockfall from the cliffs north of town.
In 2001, a 300-ton boulder destroyed the new house of a Zion employee. “In that one I disappeared in a hole it left,” said Harlan.
It’s something residents have dealt with since the area was settled.
