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Sam Penrod reporting Boaters planning a trip to Lake Powell this summer, listen up. The on-going drought is making it even harder to launch your boat.
The level of Lake Powell keeps dropping and it's already forced the closure of most boat ramps, leaving just two ramps still open for boaters.
Lake Powell is one of Utah's most popular recreation areas, and this time of year it's extremely popular.
Yesterday the Stateline Launch Ramp at Wahweap Marina was closed because of low water. And Friday, the public launch ramp at Bullfrog Marina was closed.
Already the ramp at Antelope Point was shut down.
The National Park service will allow boaters to launch, but it's at your own risk.
These ramp closures leave just Hall's Crossing and the main ramp at Wahweap open for launching.
However the park service is trying to make it clear there are still plenty of recreational opportunties at Lake Powell.
Kitty Roberts/ National Park Service: "You know Lake Powell is like a 50 story building. We still have 40 stories worth of building left. Plenty of water for recreation, whether it be houseboating, power boating, skiing, personal water craft, all of those activities are still available for you to enjoy at Lake Powell."
The lake is still 300 feet deep in places, but certainly this weekend's closure of the Stateline will only add more pressure to the boat ramps that are still open.
And of course the ramp closures are bad news for tourism in that area of Utah, since recreation at Lake Powell is a huge part of the local economy.
