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View Full Version : Powell: New info on dredging Castle Rock cutoff by summer 08?



2Driver
10-31-2007, 03:44 PM
A buddy sent this to me. Personally I find it hard to believe they could get it done in today environment, but it would be nice.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LakePowellFishCampBoat/message/1072

BoatFloating
10-31-2007, 03:51 PM
Here is a copy of a email sent to us from our house boat maintenance company.
"Lake Powell Marine just received information, verified by the National Park Service, that they will be opening (blasting) the ‘cut’ at Castle Rock! To reduce the use of fossil fuel and facilitate uplake traffic the cut will be reduced to a depth of 3600 ft. This action should allow all boat traffic to traverse this area throughout the season!!
Scheduled to be completed by April 2008!"

gramps
10-31-2007, 04:06 PM
Here is the NPS "news release" on it.
National Park Service
U.S. Department of the Interior
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 31, 2007 07-43
Glen Canyon National Recreation Area
691 Scenic View Dr.
PO Box 1507
Page, AZ 86040-1507
CONTACT: Kevin Schneider
928-608-6208
Glen Canyon News Release
Glen Canyon National Recreation Area to Examine
Deepening Castle Rock Cut
Page, AZ – Glen Canyon National Recreation Area is beginning an environmental assessment to examine the environmental effects of deepening an area on Lake Powell commonly called the Castle Rock Cut.
The Castle Rock Cut is a popular short-cut route on Lake Powell that allows boaters to conveniently travel between the Wahweap Marina and other destinations uplake. Traveling through the Castle Rock Cut saves about 12-miles of boating to popular areas such as Rainbow Bridge, Padre Bay, and Warm Creek Bay. Due to long-term drought conditions, however, the Castle Rock Cut has not been usable since 2003.
The Castle Rock Cut is currently open to boaters when Lake Powell is at an elevation of 3,620-feet or higher. Lake Powell is currently about 3,600-feet in elevation. The environmental assessment will look at deepening the Castle Rock Cut so it is navigable at other water levels.
The Castle Rock Cut was first deepened in the 1970s. In 1992, it was deepened again by approximately eight feet. Currently, an area approximately a half-mile in length, 80-feet wide, and 15-feet deep is proposed to be excavated. This would allow boats to pass through the Castle Rock cut when Lake Powell is at 3,600 feet in elevation.
The environmental assessment will analyze the potential impacts this project may have on the area’s natural and cultural resources and the quality of visitors’ experience. Public scoping is the first step in the planning process and allows the public to provide suggestions to the National Park Service about issues and alternatives that should be considered in the environmental assessment. Once an environmental assessment is drafted this winter, the public will have another opportunity to provide comments on the proposal.
Interested individuals are encouraged to provide their comments about the project to the National Park Service online at parkplanning.nps.gov/glca or by mailing them to: Castle Rock Cut EA, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, P.O. Box 1507, Page, AZ 86040. All comments must be received by December 4, 2007.
Additional details about the project are available online at: parkplanning.nps.gov/glca.

phebus
10-31-2007, 04:23 PM
That would be awesome. :D

phebus
10-31-2007, 04:29 PM
why?,you guna run that toon up here?:D :D
Whatever it takes to get back up there. Lake gypsies on the toon. :D

Mardonzi
10-31-2007, 04:30 PM
I have to say that I'm with TnB on this one.. It ain't going to happen. The onlake concessionaire toyed with the idea of doing it when the lake level was at 3553 and couldn't get even a nod of approval to get an Enviromental Impact Statement process up and running.
Don't get me wrong, I'd love to see it (even though I absolutely LOVE the run through the "washing machine")