Long-time environmental activist and folk singer Katie Lee has died at the age of 98 at her home in Jerome.
Lee grew up in Tucson and graduated from the University of Arizona. She traveled to Hollywood for a career as an actress and singer, working with the likes of Burl Ives. But after a rafting trip down the Colorado River in the early 1950’s, and the exploration of Glen Canyon upstream, Katie Lee became a staunch opponent of the construction of the Glen Canyon Dam. She helped document the beauty of Glen Canyon before it was submerged under Lake Powell, and was featured in the recent documentary Damnation, detailing the political history of the dam. She was dubbed “The Goddess of Glen Canyon” for her activism and grit.
