Lake Powell Yacht Club

News Release 9/6/2023: Glen Canyon National Recreation Area Requesting Public Comments for Proposed Tiered Boat Pass Fees.

Glen Canyon National Recreation Area is seeking public comments regarding proposed changes to its recreational boat pass fees. The park is scoping a Tiered Boat Pass fee to better align a fee structure that will reflect costs associated with the needs of vessels utilizing Lake Powell.

The price of a boat pass will be based on vessel length instead of the current vessel flat rate structure of $50 per vessel. If approved, funds will be used to address deferred maintenance needs in our many locations that support boaters on Lake Powell.

Public comments will be accepted from September 6, 2023 through October 6, 2023. There will be an open house on September 20, 2023, from 6:30-7:30 pm Arizona time, at the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area Park Headquarters;
at 691 Scenic View 691 Scenic View Drive; Page, Arizona 86040.

For more information on the proposed fees or open house or to submit public comment, visit: https://parkplanning.nps.gov/projectHome.cfm?projectId=115083

📷 NPS/ Image Description: a large, two-story houseboat beached next to a smaller motorized vessel on Lake Powell.

You can dock at Rainbow Bridge National Monument again!

Our staff has re-anchored the floating docks, walkways, and restrooms at the back of the canyon, providing access to the Rainbow Bridge trail. Enjoy the approximately 1.2-mile hike to the national monument. Prepare yourself for the walk and the heat with a nice floppy hat, good shoes, and loose clothes. Make sure your boat has enough gas to get there and back. There is no mid-lake fuel available. Stay up to date on lake-level operations at go.nps.gov/LPLake Read more about Rainbow Bridge National Monument here: https://www.nps.gov/rabr/planyourvisit/basicinfo.htm

NPS Photo: Staff at the Rainbow Bridge observation area last week.

"A lot of people will get sick this year." - Navajo Hatááłii I once knew...

When I was a kid, we had a very wet spring, and an old medicine man said that to me...

It's the kind of wisdom that comes from living long enough to remember past events.

I've been expecting this "super-bloom" since January & I expect WAY more based on the wisdom of that old tribal healer, here's why:

This much moisture means seeds that have been waiting for years have all taken off.

BUT, that's just the first link in the food-chain.

Anyone remember the super-blooms of 2019? Remenber the grasshopper plague that followed?

Well, plants are first, next it'll be bugs, then rodents, then fuzzy's like bunnies, then the predators, etc, etc, etc...

More water early in the year, means more resources for the entire food chain...

Guys, that old Navajo Hatááłii knew what he talking about when he said a very wet spring meant more people would get sick...

This'll mean more hanta-virus from rodent poo, more bubonic plague from fleas, more rabid mamals, more snake encounters, etc, etc, etc...

Guys you're going to want to anticipate a possible insect invasion, and WAY more animals during your 2023 Powell trips...

I know I'll be WAY more deliberate with my own personal safety when it comes to animal encounters at Powell this season, you may want to be too...

News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 28, 2023
Higher Lake Powell Water Levels Expected for 2023 Boating Season

GLEN CANYON NATIONAL RECREATION AREA, Arizona/Utah - Glen Canyon National Recreation Area is pleased to announce that due to a high snowpack, a higher spring runoff is expected to affect Lake Powell water levels for the 2023 boating season. Lake Powell’s water levels are managed by the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR). Based on current BOR projections for higher water levels over the next several months, Lake Powell has a greater than 90% chance for above average water levels this year. (For more information about the April 2023, 24-Month Study Projections, visit Colorado River Basin. Water access points and boat launch areas managed by the National Park Service on Lake Powell will be affected.

The following Lake Powell launch ramps are open:

South Lake Powell, (located near Page, Ariz.):
Stateline Auxiliary Ramp is open to all motorized vessels and paddlecraft. Beginning May 1, this ramp will be closed to paddlecraft.
Wahweap Main Ramp: Beginning May 1, Wahweap Main is the only designated access point at Wahweap for paddlecraft.
Antelope Point Public Launch Ramp is available for paddlecraft only.

North Lake Powell, (Bullfrog and Halls Crossing, UT):
Bullfrog North Ramp is open to small, motorized watercraft and is closed on the north side of the ramp.
Halls Crossing Public Ramp is open to paddlecraft only.

As Lake Powell’s water levels rise, the park plans to reopen the following launch ramps when the estimated lake elevations are reached (all elevations are feet, above sea level)...

Go to https://www.nps.gov/glca/learn/news/20230428.htm to read the whole press release.

NPS Photo. Lake Powell - Wahweap Bay at the beginning of April. What will it look like in July? We'll all find out together, and our staff here at Glen Canyon will do our best to get you on the ramps when they reach the water!