Lake Mead National Recreation Area
William K. Dickinson, Superintendent April 2010 • First & largest national recreation area
•5th most visited national park – visitation equal to Grand Canyon and Yosemite National Parks combined. Significance
• 900 plant species • 500 animal species • Convergence of three of the four North American Deserts • 25 threatened or endangered species • Nine wilderness areas (185,000 acres) • 1.8 million years of geological occurrences • 10,000 years of human presence • Nevada’s first Traditional Cultural Property Supporting a wide variety of active recreation A half day’s drive for 25-30 million people
Los Angeles 15 - 20 million population
Phoenix (Metropolitan Area) 3 million population
Salt Lake City 1 million population
Las Vegas 4,000-6,000 new residents/month 2 million population 40 million annual visitors
Annual visitation to Lake Mead NRA is 8 million
180,000-210,000 visitors over Memorial Day weekend - more than 40% of the NPS units visitation for an entire year Who depends on the Park? Economic Benefits • 9 major business contracts • $45 million gross annually • Fisheries - NDOW - $97 million • Lake Mead NRA contributes $500 million to $1 billion directly to the local and regional economy Lake Mead NRA • 8 water and wastewater systems • 340 buildings (seven fire stations) responsible for • 240 miles of paved roads 7 small cities • 850 miles of gravel and dirt roads • 7 campgrounds with 955 sites • 7 major marinas • $1 billion in infrastructure Lake Levels
Overton Beach
April 2000
Elev. 1208 ft Echo Bay
Government CallvilleBay 5 miles Wash
C S Pearce Las Vegas Bay Ferry South Cove
BoulderHarbor Te m p l e B a r Hemenway Harbor Lake Levels
Overton Beach
April 2010
Echo Bay Elev. 1100 ft
Government CallvilleBay 5 miles Wash
C S Pearce Las Vegas Bay Ferry South Cove
BoulderHarbor Te m p l e B a r Hemenway Harbor Hemenway Launch Ramp With each 20 foot drop the shoreline can move out 600 feet
2000 2009 ½mile½mile Low Water GMP Amendment
• Completed – Sept. 2005 • Identifies required steps and cost estimates associated with lowering lake levels. Relocated / Closed Facilities to Date
Overton Beach
D D SE VE LO 09 MO 07 C 20 20 il Marina Feb Apr
Boat launch
Boat tour
River raft take-out Echo Bay Facility move
Recreational facilities
New Pearce Fe rry rapid (RM 280) Pearce Ferry Government CallvilleBay D road ITE 5 miles LIM extension Wash USE D SE LO 1 C 200 Sept Pearce Las Vegas Bay Ferry Lake at South SED VED LO 3 1100’ D MO 02 C 00 ED SE 20 c 2 elevation Cove OV 1 LO 1 ct De M 00 C 00 O g 2 g 2 Au Au D ITE IM L SE BoulderHarbor U Te m p l e B a r D D VE VE MO 07 MO 03 20 20 eb pr F A D ED Hemenway TE OV 8 MI M 00 LI E b 2 US Fe Harbor
REVISED 6/2009 Response to Low Water
LaunchLaunch RampRamp Extensions AssociatedAssociated Extensions RelocatingRelocating StaffingStaffing CostsCosts MarinasMarinas
ProjectProject BeachBeach && RoadRoad ManagementManagement GradingGrading FundingFunding SourcesSources SNPLMASNPLMA RelocatingRelocating AppropriatedAppropriated FederalFederal BudgetBudget NewNew LaunchLaunch FloatingFloating FeeFee ProgramProgram RampRamp RestroomsRestrooms ConcessionerConcessioner InvestmentInvestment ConstructionConstruction
RelocatingRelocating AidsAids toto Docks,Docks, NavigationNavigation FishingFishing PiersPiers Relocating/Relocating/ RelocatingRelocating ExtendingExtending PortablePortable UtilitiesUtilities RestroomsRestrooms Portable/Skid Toilets
Beach / Parking Grading Aids to Navigation
Floating Sanitation Stations Constructing / Grading Roads Fishing Piers
Courtesy Docks Government Dock
Water Intake Utility Extensions & Upgrades Callville Bay Launch Ramp New Callville Bay Ramp
Road: 0.4 miles Cost: $2.3 million Government Wash Echo Bay Temple Bar Las Vegas Bay Image courtesy of February 1999 – 1213 elev. AEROTECH MAPPING & SNWA
February 2000 – 1212 elev.
February 2001 - 1197 elev.
February 2002 - 1176 elev.
February 2003 - 1154 elev.
February 2004 - 1139 elev. Boulder Harbor LV Boat Harbor/Lake Mead Marina – Lake Mead Cruises
PYRAMID ISLAND BOULDER HARBOR SADDLE ISLAND
BOULDER BEACH Las Vegas Boat Harbor Complex LAUNCH RAMP
Lake Mead Cruises Lake Mead Marina Complex HEMENWAY HARBOR Overton Marina Moves South Cove Launch Ramp Pearce Ferry Road Lake at fullpool (1220’ elevation) • Two miles of new road
New • $1.2 million project Pearce Ferry • Road and ramp opened Rapid Pearce (RM 280) March 2010. Ferry Road Extension
Pearce Ferry South ED SED Cove OV 1 LO 1 M 00 C 00 g 2 g 2 Au Au ED MIT LI E US Pearce Ferry Road
Pearce Rapid Pearce Ferry Take Out Critical Elevations - 2010
1093’ - Overton Water Treatment Plant, Callville Bay Ramp April 2010 Lake Level Projections 1085’ – Boulder Harbor Ramp - U.S. Bureau of Reclamation 1105 1100 1095 1090 1085
Elevation in Feet 1080
1075 1080’ – Echo Bay, Temple Bar Ramps 1070 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Elevation 1100 1103.2 1100.7 1096.6 1091.6 1087.5 1086 1085.9 1083 1082.5 1082.9 1087 Major Summer 2010 Issues
Overton Beach Lake Wide
ED ED OS 9 OV 7 CL 00 • Maintain lake access, M 00 il 2 b 2 pr Fe A relocate critical visitor services and aids to navigation. Overton Beach • Water Treatment Facility Echo Bay • New Low Water Launch Ramp EchoBay • Relocation & Reconfiguration of Marina Overton Beach Jan 2010
Launch Ramp
Virgin River WTP Intake Barge Overton Beach Water Treatment Plant/ Temporary Road Closure
• Mothball Plant and shut down all utility services as of Apr. 25 • Services dependent on water treatment plant – Fish Cleaner – Park Housing – RV Dump Station –Fire Suppression – Irrigation • $35,000 - $45,000 to mothball plant • Temporary road closure. Limited public access. • Bring back online and restore services as soon as conditions allow. Future startup costs (approx. $55,000 today’s est.) Echo Bay Launch Ramp Existing Conditions Echo Bay Launch Ramp New Alternative Sites
Road: 1.4 miles Estimated Cost: $3.5 million Operational Impacts 2010
• NPS - $4-6 million (avg. $6 million per 20 ft drop) for operations plus cost of constructing a new road and ramp at Pearce Bay ($1.2 million) and a new low water ramp at Echo Bay (est. $3.5 million).
• Concessioners – Over estimated $1.6 million combined – Echo Bay $375,000 – Las Vegas Boat Harbor $250,000-$360,000 – Lake Mead Cruises $120,000 – Temple Bar $300,000 – Callville Bay $600,000 Messaging Colorado River Parks
•Arches National Park •Black Canyon National Park •Canyonlands National Park •Curecanti National Recreation Area •Dinosaur National Monument •Glen Canyon National Recreation Area •Grand Canyon National Park •Lake Mead National Recreation Area •Rainbow Bridge National Monument •Rocky Mountain National Park Colorado River Parks
•Most preserved major river corridor in the world
•1,130 river miles within national parks and Monuments
•Direct recreational value $6 billion per year
• 39 percent of the Colorado River and main tributaries (2,930 miles)
• Ecological/cultural connection between the parks and the people Recreation
• Quality of life • Storage adjustments as • Economic benefits small as one foot in • Expect more frequent elevation during the and more dramatic lake summer can make a level fluctuations difference in recreational access. • Greater consideration of impacts on recreational • Recreational benefits use and tourism industry can be realized without in decision process is impacts on consumptive needed use, power production