Changing Lake Levels Update
July 21, 2023
Dear Partners:
1. Rainbow Bridge National Monument Access Restored: Floating docks, walkways, and restrooms have been re-anchored at the back of the canyon providing access to the Rainbow Bridge trail. Visitors will enjoy an approximately 1.2-mile hike to the national monument. Concession operated boat tours will resume to the popular destination on July 29.
2. Lake Powell Water Levels Slowly Declining: The 2023 spring runoff rose Lake Powell water levels approximately 65.75 vertical feet. On April 13, 2023, the lake’s lowest elevation was 3519.92 feet (Above Sea Level, ASL). Spring runoff appears to have peaked at 3584.67 feet ASL on July 9, 2023, when Lake Powell’s elevations began to slowly decline. On July 20, the Lake Powell elevation is 3582.8 feet ASL.
3. Castle Rock Cut: Travel is at your own risk and is not recommended. Submerged rocks and hazards are present. Castle Rock Cut was previously dredged to elevation 3580 feet ASL. Depending on the vessel, a water depth of at least four to six feet of water is required for safe navigation and two-way traffic. The boat owner is liable for self-rescue, salvage, and restoration of damage to the environment if problems occur.
4. Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) 24-Month Study:BOR’s July 2023 Most Probable projections indicate almost all Lake Powell boat ramps will be operable for some kind of vessel, either motorized or paddlecraft, throughout the 2023 and 2024 boating seasons. (The one exception is Bullfrog Main, which will become inoperable at elevation 3578 feet ASL, currently projected to be reached in August 2023.) BOR Projections can be viewed here: https://www.usbr.gov/uc/water/crsp/studies/24Month_07.pdf Information is also available on BOR Facebook: Log into Facebook. (BOR updates Lake Powell elevation projections around the 15th of every month, so stay tuned for future BOR announcements.)
For information available 24/7 about the status of NPS boat ramps and marina services on Lake Powell: Changing Lake Levels - Glen Canyon National Recreation Area (U.S. National Park Service).
Lake level information is also available 24/7 at these websites: Lake Powell Water Database and Lake Powell at Glen Canyon Dam, AZ).
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Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, P.O. Box 1507 (Headquarters, 691 Scenic View Drive), Page AZ 86040
If you have questions or comments or would like to be added or removed from this distribution,
please email Mary_Plumb@nps.gov
Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, P.O. Box 1507 (Headquarters, 691 Scenic View Drive), Page AZ 86040