Horseshoe Bend on the Colorado River

December 27, 2011

HorseshoePicture1 (4)

Photographer: Wendy Van Norden
Summary Author: Wendy Van Norden

Horseshoe Bend on the Colorado River is an entrenched meander, located just below the Glen Canyon Dam in Page, Arizona. While most meanders are found meandering back and forth across the alluvium of a river’s floodplain, an entrenched meander is cut into the bedrock. This type of meander forms when land under a river is uplifted by tectonic forces allowing it to erode downward into its bed. Over time, such erosion may form a gorge. At Horseshoe Bend, the Colorado River has cut through eolian Jurassic sandstones creating scenic Glen Canyon. Photo taken on March 11, 2005.

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