"Among the mysteries hidden in the rock towers of Chaco Canyon: Who were the Native American people who settled here centuries ago? How did they develop such sophisticated science and engineering skills? Why did they suddenly leave?

And now a new mystery of Chaco: What is the deal with that ginormous shiny thermos perched on a cliff over the visitor center?

If you haven’t recently bumped yourself down the washboard road that leads to the wonders of Chaco, you have been spared seeing the national historical park’s new $353,617 water tank. If you have had the pleasure of visiting the park, I doubt you could have missed it.

It has been described as “an atrocity” and “a desecration” and likened to a lighthouse shining its beacon over the park.

It gives the park headquarters the feel of an abandoned small town in middle America. You expect to see “Chaco Canyon” painted on its side – “Home of the Fighting Anasazi – 1072 State Champs.”"

Get the Story:
Leslie Linthicum: Big Tank, Bigger Stink (The Albuquerque Journal 10/16)