We gave you the info back in late November HERE that the National Park Service, along with the Bureau of Reclamation, are gathering feedback from the public as they formulate plans for low water policies for Lake Mead.
The final day to send feedback to the Bureau is TODAY. You can do that HERE on this site run by the Blue Ribbon Coalition for #SaveLakeMead. On this form you first put in your street and zip code address. Then the page will automatically populate with an editable form that allows you to sign it, change the comments, and it will automatically allow you send it to the National Park Service, the Bureau, and both Nevada Senators and Representative Susie Lee, or whoever is in your area.
This one-stop-shop form access will close at midnight, today, Tuesday December 20th.
The National Park Service form will be active and allow public answers to questions and comments until the end of Friday, December 23rd, and you can do that HERE.
What’s at stake? Our regional economy depends mightily on the Lake Mead National Rec. Area and the visitors and recreators on the lake and those who visit Hoover Dam. According to reports from the National Park Service’s own web site, they tout that back in 2019 the recreation area was responsible for $336 million annually to our local economy in Clark County. This is created through 3,990 jobs, equalling $149 million in labor income alone.
That’s a lot of dough rolling into our area, and Boulder City, as the ‘gateway community’ to Lake Mead also benefits greatly from these visitors, as we all know.
Concerns From Concessionaires and Recreators
First, let’s be clear – the primary uses of Lake Mead and Lake Powell above it are reservoirs where water is stored until it’s released downstream, supporting 40 million people. Boating and fishing on those lakes are by-products of their existence. But the use of these lakes is significant to our economy, and the drought we are in is not directly affected by these activities. We need to be smart about how we access the waterways, and that creates the challenges faced by boaters, the harbor concessionaires, and the National Park Service, who serve the lake and users’ needs.
In talking to several concessioners, what has them upset isn’t just the potential threat to their livelihood on the lake – it’s more than that. When the Reclamation Bureau on November 17 released their notice of intent to prepare proposed plans (HERE) for the management of the lake, a lot of people were caught flat-footed. What followed was a Newsletter from the Lake Mead Recreation Area HERE. It is an Environmental Assessment that is to “provide strategic direction for the future of motorized boat launching and related commercial services.”
In that newsletter is also the outline of three ‘concepts’ with proposals for all the key boating input sites in the rec area. To be sure, this is complex and must factor in launch ramps, marinas, infrastructure and facilities, concessionaires, and potable water and sewage management. It’s a logistical monster. According to the NPS Public Affairs office, “Concept 1 provides a management proposal maintaining current best practices outlined in Lake Mead’s 2018 Low Water Plan, it is just one of several preliminary concepts. The SLWAP builds on past planning efforts and is intended to provide lower costs and more feasible alternatives for a variety of management and accessibility options unique to each of the marinas. These all explore available funding and responsible spending; safety; assess long-term infrastructure needs; and the plausibility of continued declining water levels into the next several years. “
The NPS does say they have made a 2023 disaster supplemental appropriation request of congress. However, we are unclear if that is for sufficient funding to do what is needed to extend services down to the 1000-foot level or below. The National Park Service tells us that the 2019 plan, in 2017 dollars estimates costs between $30-$45 million, but again, we know those are old dollars now and costs are likely to be higher. They tell us in the past twenty years the park has spent over $50 million in infrastructure improvements.
But what is more concerning when you read through the ‘concepts’ is that there doesn’t appear to be a lot of study of alternatives. Concept 2 becomes very dire, and Concept 3 is what some have called ‘boaters Armageddon’ as all motorized lake access is basically cut off completely. Which then strands all those boats and concessionaires and facilities, docks and harbors, with no way to fund that cleanup, either. Which then makes one wonder why that should be considered a viable alternative at all?
What is also concerning is something that this humble reporter wasn’t even aware of – the Lake Mead National Rec. Area hasn’t had one consistent, full-time employed Park Superintendent in three years. There have been those in the ‘Acting’ role, but most of those folks, while surely well-trained and well-intentioned, are not full-time. They will not be, nor can they be, fully invested in what is going on in our own park – the 5th most visited in the U.S. while facing an unprecedented drought. How that has been allowed to happen for the past three years may have been affected by the pandemic, but it certainly draws the eye toward something that screams out to be fixed. Quickly. Decisions are going to be made soon that will affect this park for decades to come, and all of us in the region deserve to have a partner that will ride these choppy waters with us for the long haul.
We reached out to Jill Lagan, CEO of the Boulder City Chamber of Commerce, and she tells us, “It is imperative that the Chamber be engaged in understanding the National Park Service and Bureau of Reclamation’s efforts to address the low water level and its direct impact on lake access at launch ramps at Lake Mead and Lake Powell. We will continue to educate the business owners and residents on how they can have their voices heard. We know Mother Nature truly has the final say in this matter, but we are wise to stay aware of the Sustainable Low Water Plan, the funding needed, and the importance of the ability to access the Lake for recreational purposes to the Southern Nevada economy. It is time to communicate your thoughts, ideas, and concerns to the federal agencies involved.”
We spoke to Bruce Nelson, Vice President of Operations for Las Vegas Boat Harbor and Lake Mead Marina. He tells us that in general, they have always had a good relationship with the park service. He is actively advocating to all recreators to reach out to their congressional representatives to be sure they understand the value of Lake Mead and Lake Powell rec areas.
“I want people to know that recreating out on the lake is still a fantastic experience. Even at these low levels, it’s still the largest recreational man-made lake in the country. The current conditions give you acres of sandy beaches and great boating, even if we should hit dead pool – the 950 ft. level. We should be building ramps to accommodate boaters because there’s plenty of room to recreate now and into the future.”
If you still want to know more, we found this podcast for you too, from the Defend Your Ground Podcast that is discussing Lake Mead and the situations we are facing HERE.
These issues are complex and we frankly don’t envy the decision makers. The National Park Service depends upon the Bureau of Reclamation for the lake level numbers that they need to operate with. Sadly, the Bureau’s numbers have been consistently off and water levels have dropped further, faster than most predicted, (guess their crystal balls were faulty…). Which then makes the management of the reservoirs of both Lake Mead and Powell highly challenging. Maybe all of us should have seen this coming. But what we cannot afford now, is apathy from either of these organizations, our congressional representatives, or from ourselves. So if you haven’t already, go make your voices heard Boulder City and beyond!
