Lake Powell curtails houseboats, starts extending boat ramps amid drought, low water levels

K. Sophie Will
St. George Spectrum & Daily News

Lake Powell is in emergency mode.

Record drought this year has accelerated the decline in water levels at the massive reservoir behind Glen Canyon Dam, and officials are taking unprecedented steps to deal with the rapidly changing conditions.

On Thursday, the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area announced it would be rehabilitating and extending launch ramps to accommodate boat launching during low water conditions. 

Then on Friday, the park announced the Wahweap boat ramp would be closed on Saturday while a dive team assessed if boats could still safely enter the lake.

And on Saturday, the park banned launching houseboats from the Wahweap Main Launch Ramp and asked owners to retrieve their vessels as soon as possible. 

"Please be aware that due to the ongoing effects of climate change-induced drought, lower water levels are forecast to impact Lake Powell for the foreseeable future and will impact water access points and boat launch areas," a Saturday press release said. 

Wahweap Main Boat Launch Ramp is experiencing record low water levels in this undated July 2021 photo.

While the park has tried to mitigate the water evaporation by using boilerplate ramp extensions, officials said that at the current rate of water loss, only 60 feet of temporary boilerplate will remain by Pioneer Day.

According to U.S. Bureau of Reclamation data, Lake Powell's pool elevation is at 3,556 feet — 26 feet below the recorded minimum and 52 feet below the measurement at this time last year.

A July 19 screenshot of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation data showing the Lake Powell pool elevation level.

Once the lake drops only five feet more, the Wahweap Main Launch Ramp will "likely become unusable for all motorized watercraft," a press release said.

The effects of low water levels will likely impact the lake's water access points and boat launch areas over the next several months, officials said.

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"It is not possible to predict with certainty how water levels at Lake Powell will fall and rise in response to a wide range of factors. It is imperative that boaters check the park’s website about the status of preferred launch destinations before heading to the lake," a press release said.

Editor's note: An earlier version of this story stated that Lake Powell had banned houseboats on the lake. Lake Powell has banned houseboat launching from Wahweap Main Launch Ramp and asked owners to retrieve their boats, but launching is still available from the Bullfrog Main Launch Ramp spur, made possible by a temporary boilerplate.

K. Sophie Will is the National Parks Reporter for The Spectrum & Daily News through the Report for America initiative by The GroundTruth Project. Follow her on Twitter at @ksophiewill or email her at kswill@thespectrum.com. Donate to Report for America here.