A major geological feature in southern Utah known as the “Double Arch,” the “Hole in the Roof” and sometimes the “Toilet Bowl” has collapsed, National Park Service officials said Friday. No injuries were reported.
The popular arch in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area fell Thursday, and park rangers suspect that changing water levels and erosion from the waves of Lake Powell contributed to its death.
National Park Service
Michelle Kerns, superintendent of the recreation area that straddles the Utah-Arizona border, said the collapse serves as a reminder to protect the mineral resources surrounding the lake.
“These functions have a lifespan that can be affected or damaged by artificial interventions,” she said in a statement.
The arch was formed by 190-million-year-old Navajo sandstone of Late Triassic to Early Jurassic origin. The fine-grained sandstone has endured erosion from weather, wind and rain, the statement said.
The recreation area covers nearly 2,000 square kilometers and is popular with boaters and hikers.