- Utah officials and the National Park Service plan a temporary boat ramp at Lake Powell.
- The ramp aims to maintain access to Cataract Canyon amid dropping water levels.
- Construction begins in March with no set completion date; long-term solutions are underway.
HITE, San Juan County — Utah outdoor recreation officials have struck a deal with the National Park Service on a temporary solution for a popular Lake Powell boat ramp, seeking to keep it open while water levels at the nation's second-largest reservoir continue to drop.
Initial planning for a new, temporary North Wash boat ramp is already underway, including engineering and environmental groundwork, Utah Division of Outdoor Recreation officials said on Monday. The plan is to use an articulated concrete block system to create a temporary ramp that extends farther out into the water so that visitors can still reach Cataract Canyon, since the Hite boat ramp in the area is currently inoperable.
The National Park Service agreed to expedite all the required processes, setting up construction that will begin in March, division officials added. No timeline was given for when the new ramp will be operable.
"Maintaining safe, reliable access to Cataract Canyon is critical for Utah's river-running community and guiding economy. This temporary solution ensures continued access in the near term while we work closely with our federal partners toward a long-term, sustainable facility," said Carly Lansche, trails and planning program director for the division, in a statement.
Hite is located toward the northern end of the reservoir, where Colorado River storage begins. Lake Powell's water levels are currently at 3,531.9 feet elevation, which is 26% of its full capacity and 118 feet below the listed minimum safe elevation for the Hite Launch Ramp, according to the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.
As such, there's no water in the area for any boats to launch from toward the Hite campground. The road connecting state Route 95 to Hite is also closed, park officials note.
What was announced on Monday offers a short-term answer, while the two agencies continue to plan out a long-term solution to the problem.
The exact cost was not immediately disclosed, but the Utah Outdoor Adventure Commission funded the design, compliance and site improvements for the temporary ramp. The Utah Public Lands Policy Coordination Office and the Utah Guides and Outfitters Association have aided the process.
Glen Canyon National Recreation Area received a record 5.2 million visits when Lake Powell water levels surged from a record snowpack in 2023, but visitation has tumbled over the past two years as the reservoir's water levels have closed ramps again. Approximately 3.7 million people visited the park last year, still making it one of Utah's most-visited outdoor recreation areas.
The reservoir is poised to drop even lower this year, barring a change in snowpack conditions.
Utah and six other Colorado River states have yet to agree on a new long-term plan to manage Lake Powell and Lake Mead, failing to reach an agreement by another deadline set earlier this month. Those negotiations are still going on before the current agreement expires this year.
