You've likely seen this stunning photo showing the low -water levels at Lake Powell
-- stranding launch ramps and
raising lots of concerns.
Despite spring runoff - the
lake continues to -drop.
It's adding to the -fears
of boaters--- and
environmentalists. Is
Utah's favorite boating
destination in deep trouble?
Science & Nature
Specialist John Hollenhorst
and photographer Ken Fall look
into that question and take us
to a once hidden place that's
emerging from the water.
1:09-132:54-58 3:24-284:22-26
Richard Kass, Grand
Junction, Colorado: "WE'VE
BEEN COMING SINCE 1980, 1983.
SO WE'VE BEEN HERE QUITE
OFTEN." They come by the
millions to enjoy sky-blue
water in a red rock desert.
The dammed up waters of the
Colorado River. A
shimmering man-made jewel for
boaters. But there's a lot
less Lake Powell than there
used to be. Richard Kass,
Grand Junction, Colorado: "IT
MAKES YOU CRY." The level
dropped 140 vertical feet in
the last two decades, 40 feet
just since last year, and it's
projected to go much lower
over the next year.. Heather
Patno, Hydraulic Engineer,
U.S. Bureau of Reclamation:
"WE HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING A
FAIRLY SEVERE DROUGHT OVER THE
LAST 20 YEARS." This year
it will drop to its lowest
since first filling a
half-century ago....
...revealing surprises hidden
for years underwater. The
reservoir is now one-third
full, stranding floats and
buoys... ...leaving some
shoreline facilities far from
the water's edge. The main
parking area for Bullfrog
Marina is now a half-mile from
the docks. Richard Kass,
Grand Junction, Colorado: "TWO-
THIRDS OF BULLFROG BAY IS, YOU
CAN'T ACCESS IT COMPARED TO
WHAT YOU COULD EVEN LAST
YEAR." Much of the lake is
still hundreds of feet deep,
it's still huge, and still
providing what the National
Park Service calls "abundant
recreation opportunities,"
although with new navigation
challenges. Richard Kass,
Grand Junction, Colorado: "YOU
HAVE TO TREAT IT LIKE A NEW
LAKE." The park service
has decades of experience
adjusting facilities to
fluctuating water levels. But
this year is something else.
The Antelope Point and
Stateline launch ramps are
high and dry. John
Hollenhorst: "CLEARLY IT'S NOT
THE WAY THE RAMP WAS
ORIGINALLY DESIGNED."
At the Utah end, the Halls
Crossing ramp is open...
... but Utah's most important
ramp, the Bullfrog main ramp
is closed. The
substitute ramp is normally
used for houseboats Esteban
Hernandez, Eagle Mountain:
"IT'S NOT TOO MUCH OF A
HASSLE." But it's only two
lanes wide instead of 6 or 7.
"Plan ahead" for congestion,
the park service says,
especially Memorial Day
weekend. Still for Lake Powell
lovers there's lots of lake...
Esteban Hernandez, Eagle
Mountain: MUCH THE SAME OLD
LAKE." ...and plenty to
love.Richard Kass, Grand
Junction, Colorado: "THERE'S
JUST LESS WATER. THERE'S A LOT
MORE BEACHES. AND THE
FISHING'S BEEN REALLY GOOD."
These boaters were
delighted to find --- emerging
from the water--- just the top
of Gregory Natural Bridge, one
of the world's largest. Dr.
Richard Ingebretsen, Founder,
Glen Canyon Institute: "THIS
BEAUTIFUL ARCH WILL BE
RESTORED. WE'LL BE ABLE TO SEE
IT NEXT YEAR." Yes, these
boaters pretty much hate Lake
Powell. Dr. Richard
Ingebretsen, Founder, Glen
Canyon Institute: "SOCIETY IS
GOING TO HAVE TO DEAL WITH
JUST HOW STUPID IT WAS TO
BUILD THAT DAM." Eric
Balken, Glen Canyon Institute:
"SORT OF ROLLS OUT LIKE A BIG
VASE." A revered
destination, the "Cathedral in
the Desert," submerged for
decades. Dr. Richard
Ingebretsen, Founder, Glen
Canyon Institute: "OH, IT'S
BEAUTIFUL. IT'S SPECTACULAR."
Eric Balken, Glen Canyon
Institute: "I MEAN, SEEING
'CATHEDRAL IN THE DESERT' COME
OUT OF THE WATER, IT JUST
REALLY MOVES YOU. YOU CAN'T
HELP BUT BE TAKEN BY THIS
PLACE." Before the dam,
only hikers and river-runners
ever saw this. Frank Culver,
Newport Beach, CA.: "I MEAN,
HOW DO YOU BEAT SOMETHING LIKE
THIS?" SOUNDUP OF INDIAN
FLUTE MUSIC JOHN HOLLENHORST:
"THIS PLACE STILL ISN'T WHAT
IT ONCE WAS. OVER THE LAST 50
YEARS LAKE POWELL HAS
DEPOSITED AT LEAST 20 TO 30
FEET OF SEDIMENT ON THE FLOOR
OF THE CATHEDRAL." Dr. Richard
Ingebretsen, Founder, Glen
Canyon Institute: "THE FUTURE
COURSE OF THIS WHOLE AREA IS
RESTORATION. AND IT WILL
RESTORE VERY QUICKLY."
Heather Patno, Hydraulic
Engineer, U.S. Bureau of
Reclamation: "THE RESERVOIRS
ARE DOING WHAT THEY WERE
INTENDED TO DO, WHAT THEY HAVE
BEEN INTENDED TO DO."
Without Glen Canyon Dam, says
Heather Patno of the Bureau of
Reclamation, 20 years of
drought would have taken a
huge toll. Heather Patno:
"TODAY, THERE WOULD BE NO
WATER LEFT TO DISTRIBUTE TO
THE 40 MILLION PEOPLE WHO
DEPEND ON THE COLORADO RIVER."
But things are bad enough
that 3 states downstream---
California, Nevada, Arizona---
will likely be forced to
implement tough conservation
measures. Many scientists
say global warming will make
it even dryer. Patno isn't
convinced. Heather Patno:
"AS YOU'RE LOOKING AT CLIMATE
CHANGE SCENARIOS INTO THE
FUTURE, SOME OF THOSE ARE
WETTER." Heather Patno: "SO
WE WOULD BE MANAGING NOT ONLY
FOR EXTREME DROUGHT, BUT FOR
EXTREME FLOODING AS WELL."
Leslie Hernandez, Eagle
Mountain: "YOU HAVE TO SEE THE
POSITIVES, RIGHT? YOU CAN
STILL BE ON THE WATER. YOU
STILL HAVE THE CANYONS TO LOOK
AT. SO I'M SURE THERE'S GOOD
THINGS." But what if low
water is the new normal?
Richard Kass, Grand Junction,
CO: "NEXT SPRING WOULD BE, IT
WOULD BE REALLY BAD IF WE
DIDN'T GET THE SNOWPACK THAT
WE'RE HOPING FOR." Eric
Balken, Glen Canyon Institute:
"IT'S GONNA BE HARD TO KEEP
BULLFROG MARINA OPEN. IT'S
JUST LOGISTICALLY GONNA BE
NEAR IMPOSSIBLE." The
National Park Service refused
to do interviews and offered
no specific information about
plans for maintaining access.
But in a written statement
they said "We are currently
exploring temporary solutions
We do not currently anticipate
any long-term closures of
facilitiesThe park will do
its best to minimize the
disruptions in service."
Esteban Hernandez, Eagle
Mountain: "THE WATER IS STILL
GREAT. THE WATER'S STILL WARM.
IT'S THE MOST BEAUTIFUL LAKE
EVER TO VISIT, SO THERE YOU
HAVE IT." The government
forecast is that by next
spring the lake will "most
probably" drop another 35
feet, straight down. John
Hollenhorst, KSL 5 News
Bullfrog.
One other ramp is open at
the Arizona end of the lake.
It's a private business but
the public can use it if they
pay a "valet fee." At the
Utah end, an unpaved ramp is
available. But the Park
Service says it's "launch at