Grand Canyon – from Dinosaurs to Dams

1995 A Natural World For BBC.
An Award Winner At Missoula

The Grand Canyon is like Disney World for the naturalist. 250 miles of the most ravishing scenery anywhere in the world. The Canyon’s rugged beauty is well known but its waterfalls, verdant hanging gardens and wonderful wildlife come as a great surprise. To the wildlife, big horn sheep, tarantula hawks and exotic lizards, the Canyon acts as either a refuge, a barrier or as a corridor. The Canyon existed for millions of years untouched by man. Today it is sandwiched between two of the biggest dams ever built, creating two enormous man-made lakes, which provide water and power to the cities of Los Angeles, Phoenix and Las Vegas. Somewhat surprisingly the Canyon still exists in all its glory, attracting over five million tourists and fun seekers every year. Paradoxically the dams may have improved upon nature’s own design. Man is still at work changing the Canyon and its occupants. This film tells the complete natural history of the Grand Canyon from the time of the dinosaurs, when the Colorado River and the Grand Canyon did not exist, to the time of the dams.