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.
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Michelle Kerns, superintendent of the recreation area that straddles the Utah border and Arizonasaid the collapse serves as a reminder to protect the mineral resources surrounding the lake.
This National Park Service photo shows Double Arch, center, after the collapse, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, in Rock Creek Bay in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Utah. (Jacob E. Ohlson/National Park Service via AP)
“These functions have a lifespan that can be affected or damaged by artificial interventions,” she said in a statement.
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The arc was formed from 190 million years old Navajo sandstone originating in the Late Triassic to Early Jurassic period. The fine-grained sandstone has endured erosion from weather, wind and rain, the statement said.
The recreation area covers nearly 2,000 square miles (5,180 square kilometers) and is popular with boaters and hikers.