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Lake Mead water level

Riverryder

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Swallow last week!


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Riverryder

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Gator, swallow, Cambodia is all under water. I was only able to find shoreline at little sandy.


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DLow

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You guys are so wrong. “Experts” say that lake will be gone in a couple years by design.

Very glad to see it coming up. Would be nice to see Mead and Powell both come up over next few years. Tired of the doom and gloom water issues.
 

Hypnautic

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You guys are so wrong. “Experts” say that lake will be gone in a couple years by design.

Very glad to see it coming up. Would be nice to see Mead and Powell both come up over next few years. Tired of the doom and gloom water issues.

Expert? You mean 2FF? Friends call him Steve.
He took a lot of shit but was pretty spot on a lot of what happened to Meads water level.
Likewise—glad to see it coming up again. Just remember with Mead, new hazards are made each time the water level goes up or down.
 

2FORCEFULL

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Expert? You mean 2FF? Friends call him Steve.
He took a lot of shit but was pretty spot on a lot of what happened to Meads water level.
Likewise—glad to see it coming up again. Just remember with Mead, new hazards are made each time the water level goes up or down.
LOL... all I did was repete what the guy from WA told me.... but , pretty easyt to prove now.... he said they were gonna 150' out of the lake and it would never see the high level again.... he went on to say that at that level they loose too much water to evaporation, and and the amount of pollution at overton and vegas wash stagnate areas... so that was the year 2000... it went straight down for 10 years before it leveled off....they moved all the marinias while the water was up...wonder how they knew where the water was gonna be????? had everyone thinking vegas drank all the water??? lol...the sky is falling....
 

Taboma

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Call me when we can power a houseboat to Columbine Falls.

View attachment 836494

In 83' while enjoying our honeymoon house boating on Mead :D Pretty sure we weren't supposed to take the HB up the Grand Canyon, obviously I was lost :rolleyes: :)
14 years later we'd launch the PWCs at Pierce Ferry and run as far up as fuel would allow, then mostly float back to PF.
By mid 90's you'd back your truck and trailer half way across the bay at PF and water would barely reach the bunks to launch.
Had to navigate between all the tree trunks to reach the falls.
Shortly after, the NPS sacrificed us to the Enviro-Nazis, guess they were concerned about erosion :mad: :rolleyes:

Referring to the "Dealing with Age" RDP thread, another "Benny" of being old :D:D:D
 

FreeBird236

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Mead has had a steady rise since Nov. of 2019. I thought they were going to keep most of the water in Powell because of evaporation. Powell is still quite a bit higher than the beginning of last year so I guess they decided to raise Mead also. Snow pack is about 130% of normal so maybe we'll gain more both places again this year. We need about 15 or more years of above normal snow pack to fill Mead, 2017 and 2019 were very good we just need to keep it up.
 

QC22

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In 83' while enjoying our honeymoon house boating on Mead :D Pretty sure we weren't supposed to take the HB up the Grand Canyon, obviously I was lost :rolleyes: :)
My first time was '85. I think this was '86 or '87. Not positive. I've been in the GC a lot as well. Took an I/O 17 miles in once, that's as far as I've got. That was '00 I think. Almost Separation Canyon? Pretty far past Grand Canyon West.

Scary story about the pic above. I dove head first off the top of the houseboat. Seemed like a non-issue, but you couldn't see anything in the water. Went back a couple of years later, water 10 f't lower, and there is a rock pile at the base of the waterfall. I couldn't have missed it by much. Freaks me out every time I think of it :eek:
 

johnner58

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MWD Report explains why Mead water levels have recovered!
•Early outlook for 2020 is good
–Record MWD storage – 3.1 MAF
–Upper Colorado River @ 115% Normal
–Initial SWP allocation = 10% (12/3/19)
–Demands on MWD remain low
 

Taboma

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My first time was '85. I think this was '86 or '87. Not positive. I've been in the GC a lot as well. Took an I/O 17 miles in once, that's as far as I've got. That was '00 I think. Almost Separation Canyon? Pretty far past Grand Canyon West.

Scary story about the pic above. I dove head first off the top of the houseboat. Seemed like a non-issue, but you couldn't see anything in the water. Went back a couple of years later, water 10 f't lower, and there is a rock pile at the base of the waterfall. I couldn't have missed it by much. Freaks me out every time I think of it :eek:

Damn :eek::eek: You're lucky !! First time up there it freaked me the fuck out imagining what lie below the surface of that chocolate milk we were running across. :eek:
We made the GC run on sit-downs about 4 years in a row with a group of four of us launching at PF and essentially lifting the skis off the trailers.
Spending the entire day exploring up there, not another soul seen except for a returning bladder boat or two, amazing. You couldn't help but start imagining how the original river runners felt, complete awe. We'd run and run, until our tanks were a bit below 1/2 full, find a sandbar we could pull off out of the current onto. Enjoy lunch, then start the long float back. One of the only moments in my life I can recall, experiencing complete silence, nobody in the group wanting to say anything to break it.
When I'd read that the NPS was planning to toss us under the Enviro-Bus, I wrote leaders, sent pictures, tried everything to convince them not all of us PWC riders were a menace to society.
We weren't spinning donuts, we were in no way abusing the natural beauty any more so than other boaters and bladder boats using OBs to get back to PF.
Oh well :(
 

QC22

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The milky water can work on your head when swinging a prop. I was sitting one day at the entrance to Columbine Falls trying get up the nerve to keep going upriver. I hear a big roar and a 35'+ Fountain with twins goes roaring by from upriver. "We're goin'!" Lol
 

jet496

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In 83' while enjoying our honeymoon house boating on Mead :D Pretty sure we weren't supposed to take the HB up the Grand Canyon, obviously I was lost :rolleyes: :)
14 years later we'd launch the PWCs at Pierce Ferry and run as far up as fuel would allow, then mostly float back to PF.
By mid 90's you'd back your truck and trailer half way across the bay at PF and water would barely reach the bunks to launch.
Had to navigate between all the tree trunks to reach the falls.
Shortly after, the NPS sacrificed us to the Enviro-Nazis, guess they were concerned about erosion :mad: :rolleyes:

Referring to the "Dealing with Age" RDP thread, another "Benny" of being old :D:D:D
We did the same back in the 90's but put in at Temple Bar. Taking a houseboat through the trees around Pierce Ferry is insane though. Good times. Hope it rises that high again.
 

NAFLASH

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I was recently having a discussion with some friends that have houses in Temple Bar. The general consensus is that the lake is much more usable with the lower water levels. Why do people want Mead to be "full'? With the the water level at its current state the lake has a lot more beaches and is still massive.
 

Riverryder

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I was recently having a discussion with some friends that have houses in Temple Bar. The general consensus is that the lake is much more usable with the lower water levels. Why do people want Mead to be "full'? With the the water level at its current state the lake has a lot more beaches and is still massive.

Exactly! It being full
Means no beaches or coves to hang out at.
The 5-6 feet it raised already. Has little sandy under water, Cambodia, gator and swallow. My son was pissed when we went to swallow(his favorite beach) and I couldn’t pull up to shore.
 

Runs2rch

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A few storms and there will be plenty of beaches again. Always has been that way. If anything it forces you to find new spots.

Growing up at Mead we have camped all over. There are great spots to be found no matter the water level.

I keep a few saws and axes in the boat just in case some cleanup needs to be done.
 

Runs2rch

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You aloud to touch or cut things down like that?
It was more so the lake bottom that didn’t let me get close enough at a couple places


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Only anything dead. Which most usually is when the water comes up.
 

Andy B.

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Exactly! It being full
Means no beaches or coves to hang out at.
The 5-6 feet it raised already. Has little sandy under water, Cambodia, gator and swallow. My son was pissed when we went to swallow(his favorite beach) and I couldn’t pull up to shore.

It,s raised 10' from its lowest point at the end of last year the last time we were out was in Nov, it was at 1082 I believe. Was going to take the boat out for a quick spin but it's cloudy and crappy right now should have went yesterday..:(
 

Riverryder

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It’s Vegas man! In 30
Mins it could be blue sky’s and great!

taken one of my boats to water test on Saturday for someone. Might have my other boat towed out by a friend in case it sells.
Last 2 times I went out only saw 1-2 boats the whole day!


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76 Hondo

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Ye
Yeh, that sucks

I used to boat in the Overron arm for years. When the water was high we actually went past Overton arm and into the area where the virgin river comes in

yeah in the 70’s used to primitive camp at Overton for a week or two, always the best skiing up the Virgin River, sometimes you could look down and see the tops of trees!
 

Pelon

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I was recently having a discussion with some friends that have houses in Temple Bar. The general consensus is that the lake is much more usable with the lower water levels. Why do people want Mead to be "full'? With the the water level at its current state the lake has a lot more beaches and is still massive.


I am one of those that liked the lower water level. This picture is of a beach we have been going to the last few years. The lake was about 1078 when the picture was taken. Temple Bar Marina is in the background. If you add 15 feet there is not much left of the beach. Might have to find a new spot this year.

beach west of t bar .jpg
 

2FORCEFULL

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I am one of those that liked the lower water level. This picture is of a beach we have been going to the last few years. The lake was about 1078 when the picture was taken. Temple Bar Marina is in the background. If you add 15 feet there is not much left of the beach. Might have to find a new spot this year.

View attachment 836857
it'll go back down for summer...for some reason they have been holding water.... I frequent aztex rd … bridge....in ft Mohave.... the river has been soo low you can walk across it.... pretty scary looking...again, just what I was told but,... this is where they want the water level to be...
 

ramos45

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I am one of those that liked the lower water level. This picture is of a beach we have been going to the last few years. The lake was about 1078 when the picture was taken. Temple Bar Marina is in the background. If you add 15 feet there is not much left of the beach. Might have to find a new spot this year.

View attachment 836857

similar here. Rotary cove in the lower basin has been our spot until last year. I got out late in the season only to find the beach in center of the cove completely under water. Back to little sandy or Swallow or go adventuring into the upper basin more often
 

QC22

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I've argued for a long time that Mead is great at lower levels, but I would never say it is "better". Mead (and Powell) deliver new treats at every level. Those of you who have not been past Sandy Point have missed maybe the best boating of all. I have taken a few seasoned boaters into the Grand Canyon over the years, and when I see them at Havasu it's all they want to talk about. Sadly it's been almost 20 years.
 

jet496

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I've argued for a long time that Mead is great at lower levels, but I would never say it is "better". Mead (and Powell) deliver new treats at every level. Those of you who have not been past Sandy Point have missed maybe the best boating of all. I have taken a few seasoned boaters into the Grand Canyon over the years, and when I see them at Havasu it's all they want to talk about. Sadly it's been almost 20 years.
Agreed. Trips of a life time going into the Grand Canyon those years. Truly Gods country. I remember floating at Pierce Ferry just getting the gumption to punch it through the trees to enter the canyon, it was like something out of a video game avoiding the tree tops. Now it's a water fall there.

That being said, as I recall beaches were scarce as hell at full pool so there's pluses & minuses to everything.
 

3.Slow

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I was recently having a discussion with some friends that have houses in Temple Bar. The general consensus is that the lake is much more usable with the lower water levels. Why do people want Mead to be "full'? With the the water level at its current state the lake has a lot more beaches and is still massive.
The lake might be more useable at a lower level from a boating perspective, but it is the exact opposite from a water supply perspective. While the lower level gives room to store water as MWD did this past year, if we were to have another record dry year we would just be taking it down further, to a potentially worse situation from even a boating perspective, does anyone really know what the lake looks like another 30 ft down. It is a reservoir, and being used as such means it will go up and down.
 

QC22

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That being said, as I recall beaches were scarce as hell at full pool so there's pluses & minuses to everything.
Yeah, I actually said the same to the wife two seasons ago. With that noted, Sandy Cove, Swallow etc. all have more sand at high levels. It's just waaaay up there. And, there is really good sand above and across from Echo at high levels. Glory and Kline Holes have beautiful soft sand, so it comes and goes.

Mushroom Reef, posted above, we've water skied around the Mushroom. Every level, something new, something unique. Oddly, this is the beauty, and maybe a curse, of Havasu. It's always within 4 feet. 445' to 449'. The intake dam design at Parker requires it. Mohave is similar.
 

mothershipper

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I am one of those that liked the lower water level. This picture is of a beach we have been going to the last few years. The lake was about 1078 when the picture was taken. Temple Bar Marina is in the background. If you add 15 feet there is not much left of the beach. Might have to find a new spot this year.

View attachment 836857
Gilligans island is what we've called this place. Nice beach
 

DeltaSigBoater

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In my personal opinion, the sweet spot for Mead is right around 1150'+/-.

As the water level dropped from full pool in '83, we'd just find a new beach. Some days we'd just raft the boats together and float.

Sandy Point was always my favorite place to go for the day.

During the late 80's through early 2000's when we didn't head to Sandy Point, we'd beach on Houseboat Island.

The Pin is where Gilligan's would be if NOAA updated their charts for Lake Mead.

The the Blue dots are the Ski route we used take.

1980s-2000s-ski-ride-png.761322


Oh and Temple Bar is CLOSED :D
 

DeltaSigBoater

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What do you local TB guys call the Mushroom? The Head? Penis? Skied behind that as noted above.

Throughout my entire life I've heard it called all those at one time or another. The Campanile is the offical name, but I've also refered to it as The Sphinx.

If you zoom in there's a place on the chart called "The Head" a little above the pin.
 

HBCraig

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Yeah, I actually said the same to the wife two seasons ago. With that noted, Sandy Cove, Swallow etc. all have more sand at high levels. It's just waaaay up there. And, there is really good sand above and across from Echo at high levels. Glory and Kline Holes have beautiful soft sand, so it comes and goes.

Mushroom Reef, posted above, we've water skied around the Mushroom. Every level, something new, something unique. Oddly, this is the beauty, and maybe a curse, of Havasu. It's always within 4 feet. 445' to 449'. The intake dam design at Parker requires it. Mohave is similar.
Back in the day Glory hole was one of many across from Echo It was awesome. There was an epic cove just south of echo as well
 

QC22

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QC22

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The Campanile is the offical name
Yeah I use Mushroom for the whole place, and I've also used Sphinx for the Head itself. I've stayed there a lot. When we Houseboat we usually head straight there, and then Sandy Point the next day. Good sand in there at certain levels. None at full pool.

Edit: I just looked up Campanile, and it means a Bell Tower typically in Italy. There you go...
 

Runs2rch

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Yeah I use Mushroom for the whole place, and I've also used Sphinx for the Head itself. I've stayed there a lot. When we Houseboat we usually head straight there, and then Sandy Point the next day. Good sand in there at certain levels. None at full pool.

Edit: I just looked up Campanile, and it means a Bell Tower typically in Italy. There you go...

Good to know. We always called it Penis Rock.
 

Pelon

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Ran up to Temple Bar this weekend and took the boat out for a cruise. Dead calm on the lake but a little to cold for me.
This is a picture of what Gilligan's looked like this weekend.

t bar 3 1 no 3.jpg
 
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