Dangling Rope Marina at Lake Powell will not open again as NPS plans for alternatives
Sep 27, 2024, 12:59 PM | Updated: 5:36 pm
PAGE, Ariz. — The National Park Service explained Thursday that Dangling Rope Marina at Lake Powell is no longer sustainable due to declining water levels.
A letter Thursday from Glen Canyon National Recreation Area Superintendent Michelle Kearns explained what she called “hard unavoidable decisions” not to open the marina again after it was shuttered in 2022.
“The water depth in the Dangling Rope cove can no longer support a marina,” Kearns wrote. “With the water level lower, access is cut off and emerging rock features are a safety hazard.”
The U.S. National Park Service said water levels at Lake Powell have made the Dangling Rope marina unsustainable and it will not return to operations. It is shown here during the summer of 2021. (NPS)
Dangling Rope, a fuel and restroom station mid-lake, not far from Rainbow Bridge National Monument, was established in 1984, following Lake Powell’s all-time peak level in 1983, more than 3,700 feet above sea level. It was only accessible by water or air. On Thursday, the lake was at 3,578.42 feet above sea level after two excellent water years in Utah. The marina was the only option to get fuel between down-lake Wahweap/Antelope Point marinas and the up-lake Bullfrong/Halls Crossing marinas, a boating distance of approximately 100 miles.
Kearns said:
We all have fond memories of the many years Lake Powell boaters enjoyed a unique experience at Dangling Rope. Due to climate change and aridification, Lake Powell’s water levels have declined … We know how important mid-lake fuel is, and NPS has been working hard to find an alternative way to provide mid-lake fuel to boaters. We are planning a mid-lake fuel service station that will be operational at low water and not dependent on support systems from a fixed, land-based station.
Lake Powell is a reservoir on the Colorado River in Utah and Arizona, US. pic.twitter.com/lfMDP87Uif
— National Parks (@onationalparks) September 7, 2024
Congress authorized funding support for the new fuel station in the 2023 budget. The NPS, as part of the U.S. Department of the Interior, manages the area. It awarded a contract to a marine engineering firm to design the new station. The design has not yet been completed. Thursday’s letter said when the design concepts are delivered, an evaluation process will begin to ensure a “long-lasting mid-lake fueling station that will serve us well in the future” is built.
History of Dangling Rope
According to the letter, NPS planned to upgrade the electrical system that serviced Dangling Rope in 2016, including three high-voltage cables that had to be extended or retracted as the marina changed with falling or rising water levels. An upgrade was required to meet code, and a $3 million project was started in 2017, but additional funding needs pushed the cost to $5 million, with much of the cost increase coming during the COVID-19 pandemic, due to worker shortages and supply chain issues.
While work was underway, NPS staff were alerted that the sewage lift station separated from the marina dock and sunk. In the fall of 2020 the station was recovered and removed without a major environmental spill.
“In May 2021, a severe microburst storm caused extensive damage to the Dangling Rope Marina,” Kearns stated. Dock sections were broken apart and damaged NPR said re-assembly was not possible. Utility lines were also severed and the marina was closed. In the same year, surveyors surveyed the depth of the cove to chart the underwater landscape. As the prolonged drought persisted at the lake, the electrical upgrade project could not be completed.
We camped at Lake Powell and had the most epic light show ive ever witnessed. The contrast of the storm clouds, white cliffs, and distant sun sneaking in through the Horizon was just incredible. The photos don’t do it justice pic.twitter.com/qAnkbXtZRm
— Eric Liffrig (@Copyrightgg_) September 25, 2024
“The design did not anticipate the water elevations being below 3547 ft. ASL. On July 15, 2021, the electrical upgrade project was suspended,” Kearns wrote.
Along with electrical problems and weather-related catastrophic damages, water levels continued to drop, the possible beaching of the marina, drinking water wells around Lake Powell became barely functional or inoperable, according to Kearns.
“Dangling Rope’s water well, located high on a hill above the cove, is dry.”
Kearns said 2023 funding gives the recreation area hope and tangible options for new sustainable experience mid-lake, such as the fueling station concept and improved access to Rainbow Bridge National Monument.
“New infrastructure that is designed to last, takes time to develop and implement but we have the support from many stakeholders and communities to be successful.”
Park rangers walk back to the boat from Rainbow Bridge at lake elevation 3529′. The water did not reach the trailhead at this level, so they had to walk through the wet muck. The lake level has risen enough to reattach the docks to the trailhead. (Edmonia Martinez, NSP)
Rainbow Bridge was designated in 2017 by NPS as “traditional cultural property.”
According to KSL.com: “The listing on the national register will now require consultation with associated traditional communities and a more rigorous review process before any federal project can be initiated that might affect the property.”
The bridge spans 275 feet, is 290 feet tall and is one of the best-known stone arches in the world. It is steeped in traditions of the Hopi, Kaibab Paiute, Navajo, San Juan Southern Paiute, Ute Mountain Ute and Zuni people. Currently the dock at for the bridge is attached to land and visitors must dock and walk a trail for 1.2 miles. Water levels were too low for the dock but have risen recently.
Guided tours are available. The monument is 160 square acres of land.
Several other launch locations and services are limited or inoperable at the lake. For more about the changing lake levels of Lake Powell, click here.
