09/22 to 09/23 - Lake Powell 2018

I'm still planning on being there late on the 17th. Since Oak Canyon seems to be the place everyone talks about, I'll get there before Friday and scope out and lay stake to some land. I don't really know anything about hosting these gatherings, other than having fun amongst the company of other's, so I'll just look forward to being there and hopefully we'll have a good turnout. I'll have my AIS transmitting anytime I'm running, and maybe some when I'm anchored Friday afternoon, Saturday, so if your VHF picks up AIS, just look for Midnight. :) Colby
 
Just a heads up most of the mapping has Oak Canyon and Secret Canyon swapped on the map. It comes from the original Topo maps being wrong. Oak is at the back of a big open bay. Secret just looks like a secret entrance.
 
I've got several maps, but mostly use the Stan Johnson one, I believe. Don't have it with me now, and up in Door County on Green Bay! :D I'm assuming it is accurate. I also have Garmin's current charts on my Chartplotter. Colby
 
Steve, sure hope you make it, as we haven’t seen you & Diana since Marie & you were catching fish early every morning & that was one of my favorite Gatherings there.

Colby, if all goes well, I should be at Oak Canyon by Thursday the 20th or before. We should be able to stake out a workable site if Steve doesn’t make it.

Jody, I hope to see you Aug 23rd in Yellowstone & then again at Powell.

Jay
 
I'm showing Oak just west of the canyon going into Rainbow Bridge. You are right, my Fishing Hotspots data map is showing them crossed. However I have the correct canyons marked from prior waypoints. Oak is in the bottom or south end of that big bay, while Secret takes off to the west inside that same bay. Sounds good Jay.
 
My currant Stan Jones map is backwards. They kind of go back and forth. Someone is going to have to fix the old topo maps before they’ll stop going back and forth.
 
Better enjoy Lake Powell while you can. In a couple of years it may not be there anymore.

They expect Lake Mead to reach emergency level in 2021. One option being discussed is to remove Glen Canyon dam and let all the water in Lake Powell go into Lake Mead to restore the water levels there.

Apparently Lake Powell is quite "leaky" and Lake Mead is not. To conserve more water it is better to store it in Lake Mead.

Of course the real problem is the reduced winter snow pack over the last 14 years that feed the reservoir system and the widespread development in the southwest that consumes more water than is available.

https://knpr.org/knpr/2016-05/could-dra ... -lake-mead
 
I agree that blowing Glen Canyon Dam is very unlikely. There is an obligatory water discharge from the Treaty of 1922 giving the water from the Colorado River to 7 states. Calif and Arizona (plus Mexico) are lower down the river. Thus Mead also has to let water out. Las Vegas put in new water intakes several years ago at a lower level--and more water rationing may be required.

The WY 2018 snowpack in the drainage basin is very low, (never reached 100% and june was at 20% of normal june level. The lake is 33' lower than a year ago this date. Good news is that Castle Rock cutoff is still open, with about 19 foot depth. Some years this time it was already closed. The volume of water is just over 48% full pool levels.

There is the issue of many tons of silt which has accumulated in the upper lake--in all major arms. This could have an impact on the Grand Canyon.

There is power generation from both Glen Canyon and Bolder Dam.

There would be massive ecological changes if the river were allowed to go back to its natural flow, by blowing ALL of the dams on the river! But maybe that's not such a bad idea! :shock:
 
Hunkydory":38u2cuok said:
Steve, sure hope you make it, as we haven’t seen you & Diana since Marie & you were catching fish early every morning & that was one of my favorite Gatherings there.

Colby, if all goes well, I should be at Oak Canyon by Thursday the 20th or before. We should be able to stake out a workable site if Steve doesn’t make it.

Jody, I hope to see you Aug 23rd in Yellowstone & then again at Powell.

Jay
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Discovery":38u2cuok said:
Steve, When will you know if your going to Powell or not? We're still in Slodotna, AK.
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LooIs like we’re are going to be able to make it... fingers are crossed!
 
I just saw a warning on the Glen Canyon web site advising people to always wear water shoes because of tiny and sharp mussel shells. Not only is there a chance of cuts, but also the potential for an infection/sepsis.

In 2015, we had one member helicoptered out with sepsis, so it can happen.

Steve
 
So how many in total does it look like will be making Lake Powell the weekend of September 21st? I'm getting excited for the trip, but still have the Mississippi gathering in Alton to get to this week. Plans are still to arrive Bullfrog Bay late afternoon on the 17th. Then stick around until the 27th, leaving on the 28th. I'll most likely stay between Bullfrog and Dangling Rope, along with Rainbow Bridge, but might head farther west or east. Or, I've never been down the San Juan or Escalante Rivers, so might poke into those a little farther, depending upon fuel usage. Colby
 
colbysmith":1zpglddz said:
So how many in total does it look like will be making Lake Powell the weekend of September 21st? I'm getting excited for the trip, but still have the Mississippi gathering in Alton to get to this week. Plans are still to arrive Bullfrog Bay late afternoon on the 17th. Then stick around until the 27th, leaving on the 28th. I'll most likely stay between Bullfrog and Dangling Rope, along with Rainbow Bridge, but might head farther west or east. Or, I've never been down the San Juan or Escalante Rivers, so might poke into those a little farther, depending upon fuel usage. Colby
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Colby, we have 10 boats signed up, and there are occasionally last minute folks pop in. We are probably going to be about two days ahead of you. Typically some members of the group do a trip up the Escalante and San Juan rivers, and to Forgotten Canyon to see Defiance House. Fuel shouldn’t be an issue, just top off at Dangling Rope.
 
I'll have to look at my charts to find Forgotten Canyon. I'll probably be meeting up with S&T (Steve and Tina) with their new to them 22, and see if they have some preferences of where they'd like to go. Colby
 
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