The Engulfed Shrine of the Ages: Glen Canyon's 'Cathedral in the Desert' (123 pages, 8.5 X 11 format) is the sequel to the longer Glen Canyon Before Lake Powell: Beauty Lost in the Southwest (respectively, books 4 and 3 in the Colorado Plateau series). The Cathedral, as it was popularly referred to in those days (and still is) was inundated by Lake Powell not too long after the Glen Canyon Dam was built and in place (around 1967). By the early 1980s, that sprawling lake backed-up to nearly 200 miles (321 km), and some 125 side canyons and their respective scenic attractions (backcountry idyllic haunts) were covered by hundreds of feet of water. That compelling story is outlined in the original text published last year, depicting the before, during, and after phases relative to building the dam. In the sequel, the focus was entirely set on the most revered scenic icons of the Glen and meant to inform the reader what was sacrificed when the Bureau of Reclamation targeted Glen Canyon for the first large dam to be built in the upper basin of the Colorado River. Unfortunately, and some fifty years later, Lake Powell's environmental problems with continuing and unstoppable aggradation (i.e., sediment in-flow) has severely diminished the originally predicted lifespan of its basin (around 700 years), and likely this second largest artificial basin in America (next to Lake Mead being the first largest by volume) will last sixty or seventy years. The reason is that there is no feasible or economical way to remove the accumulating grayish gunk on the bottom of the lake. Again, that story is revealed in its entirety in Glen Canyon Before Lake Powell. Incidentally, Lake Mead's basin has already failed, and the fervor of the Bureau of Reclamation is to increase the basin's seriously diminished levels. Then again, Lake Powell showed similar signs by the early 1990s. Hence, the lake level is well over one hundred feet below the so-called full pool level of 1982.The Engulfed Shrine of the Ages relates the essentials of what happened here, including human and natural history. Mostly, the text describes the incomparable beauty of this canyon niche's environs. The text also describes the before and after phases, including The Cathedral's unexpected appearance when the lake level dropped some 145 feet (44 m). That rare and serendipitous event happened in April 2005, and for a couple of weeks visitors, like myself got to see The Cathedral fully revealed. Hence, a complete view of its magisterial setting from the floor to the upper reaches hundreds of feet above this veritable shrine of the ages. Toward the middle of the month, the water level of the lake slowly elevated and toward the end of the month The Cathedral was, once again, engulfed by cold, clear water. The synopsis for the larger text reveals more information about Glen Canyon, especially because the substance of the narrative relates most specifics about the before, during (construction), and after phases.
About the Author: The author writes and publishes under the nom de plume, RK ALLEMAN because the name more accurately describes his heritage. After being Honorably Discharged from the Navy (submarine service), he has lived in the West and Southwest for over four decades. Earning three academic degrees in Eastern and Western Philosophy, for nearly 30 years RK (as RICH HOLTZIN, his legal name) made a living as an outdoors educator and interpreter teaching a variety of geosciences, human, and natural history geared to the Colorado Plateau Province. Additionally, RK was a professional studio and stage musician and taught guitar and music theory, including composing two soundtracks for the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone National Parks; a high school Educational Assistant and Substitute Teacher; a commercial pilot flying a variety of aircraft; a professional photographer; a GPS surveyor and topographical mapper for the U. S. Forest Service; a planetarium control room operator; a museum docent; and the Coconino County Sheriff's Office. What RK is more enthused about, however, is serving in the role of an interpretive guide and educator for the Grand Canyon Field Institute (a National Park Service endorsed outreach program (http: //bit.ly/1D6YS1u). He was also an instructor at Northern Arizona University and Yavapai College (respectively, Flagstaff and Prescott), as well as the owner of a Southwest eco and cultural tourism enterprise. Fairly recently, he became the Executive Director of a think tank in Albuquerque, based on astronautics and aerospace S.T.E.M. classroom projects (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), including the co-author of a math-lab book based on rocketry. (www.stemfortheclassroom.com) For more of RICH HOLTZIN'S backstory, peruse his website under his legal name: www.richholtzin.com