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More Good News
by Dave Shearer 29 Mar '11

29 Mar '11

GSL Slip Renters and Marina Users. We have more good news for you. We have been sounding the "Reef Channel" over the last few weeks. And there is enough depth over that section of the reef for a good portion of you to begin using it again. Your shortcut to the lake is back. We will be setting the "Reef Channel" buoys in the next couple days. These are green Can buoys. As you pass them, stay within 20' of them. Pass them on your starboard side going out. Pass them on your Port side coming back in. If you have a draft of 4' or less you should be fine using this path. If your draft is 5' or more, do not use them until the lake has reached a level of at least 4196.9 IF YOUR DRAFT IS MORE THAN 4' do not use this path yet. IF WE HAVE ISSUED A "NEGATIVE STORM SURGE WARNING" Do NOT use this path no matter what your draft. Boat Aground.jpg If one of these buoys is missing, do not use the path. For those of you who may be new and do not know the difference between the "Deep Channel" and the "Reef Channel" go to www.gslmarina.com/DeepReefChannelMap/tabid/77/Default.aspx for instructions and a map of the two channels. The "Deep Channel" path is a hole or a deep section to go over the reef. The "Reef Channel" is a shortcut over the reef that is a little deeper than the main body of the reef. DO NOT VEER OUT OF THESE CHANNELS. The reef is still very shallow and you are likely to run aground! When going out or in over the "Reef Channel" do not veer too far west. The reef gets very shallow again. QUICK TRICK: When approaching the marina from the lake align west corner of the mouth of the marina with the very western corner of the very back of the marina. As you approach the marina using the "Reef Channel" this will keep you over the Reef Channel Path. See diagram below. And when leaving the marina mouth, head straight for the center of Promontory. See Chart Below - Sorry for the crude drawing Rounded Rectangular Callout: Line up this point Mouth North Basin of Marina South Basin of Marina Rounded Rectangular Callout: With this point Good luck! Dave Shearer Harbormaster Great Salt Lake State Marina 801-209-9142

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Lake Level Update
by Dave Shearer 29 Mar '11

29 Mar '11

GSL Slip Renters and Marina Users, For those that watch the lake level, you have probably noticed that the lake level is stuck at 4195.7 Well, that is not the lake level. The gage appears to be broken. The true lake level is 4195.9 for a net gain of 2.3' from our low of last year. Our high lake level last year was 4195.7 We are above that and spring runoff has just started. Last year, at this time, we were at 4195.4 (1/2 foot lower than now) Ground water saturation is very high. Reservoirs are high (they are releasing water now to make room for a massive runoff). Snowpack is 142% Direct precipitation into the lake is at 140%. We will have a LOT of water coming our way in a few short weeks. I am amending my lake level predictions. I give it a 10% chance we will see top-out at 4196.7 giving us a 3.1' rise. And we will bottom out at 4194.7' giving us a 1.1' gain from the low of last year I give it a 50% chance we will see top-out at 4197.6' giving us a 4.0' rise. And we will bottom out at 4195.6 giving us a 2.0' gain from the low of last year. I give it a 40% chance we will see top-out at 4198' rise. And we will bottom out at 4196' giving us a 2.4' net gain from the low of last year. What this all means is that all the 'B' dock slip renters are likely going to move back to 'B' from 'E' dock. It also means that you will, once again, be able to use the "Reef Channel" as opposed to the "Deep Channel". (at least the vessels with drafts less than 5') And it means that all of you should be able to get out of the marina all winter. It's all about the sunspots! Dave Shearer Harbormaster Great Salt Lake State Marina 801-209-9142

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FREE GSLYC Boating Safety Seminar
by BRYANT PRATT 28 Mar '11

28 Mar '11

Ahoy Ye Salts, The 8th and final Wednesday night session of the 2011 edition of the Great Salt Lake Yacht Club's FREE Sailing Seminars series is scheduled for this Wednesday night, March 30, from 7:00 to 8:30 in the Kearns Library auditorium, 5350 S. 4220 W. This week's subject is Boating Safety and Navigation on the Great Salt Lake. The speaker will be Ranger Bob Rosell, Manager of the G.S.L. Marina. Bob will share his insights about how to stay out of trouble on the G.S.L. and what to do when you don't. There will be door prizes. After Wednesday, the remining session in the 2011 series will be . . . Saturday, April 2 at Noon - Heavy Weather Sailing Lecture and demonstrations at the G.S.L. Marina by Dave Shearer, Harbor Master G.S.L. Marina G.S.L. Marina: 40°44.023' N 112°12.672' W See you there! Bryant Pratt GSLYC Seminars p.s. If you're getting this notice from multiple sources, REJOICE for you are loved! If you want off the GSLYC Seminars list, reply to me and I'll see that you're removed from the list. (I don't manage GSL Marina, GSLYC or Utah-Sailing lists).

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Interesting article about our snowpack
by Dave Shearer 25 Mar '11

25 Mar '11

GSL Slip Renters and Marina Users. Below is an interesting article in KSL that makes some very nice comparisons of our snowpack to that of the historic 1983 floods. Enjoy. And it's all about the sunspots! <http://www.ksl.com/emedia/slc/1718/171813/17181367.jpg> <http://www.ksl.com/emedia/slc/1718/171813/17181367.jpg> ice_water.jpg <http://www.ksl.com/emedia/slc/1718/171813/17181367.jpg> As snow depth rises so do flooding concerns March 25th, 2011 @ 6:00pm By ksl.com WASATCH FRONT -- This year's "phenomenal" snowpack is rivaling that of 1983, when rapid snowmelt turned the streets into rivers over Memorial Day weekend in downtown Salt Lake City. With a wet storm pounding much of Utah over the last few days, more storms expected to occur next week and flooding already experienced in western Weber County, water managers are taking steps now to prevent a repeat. "Cities and counties and towns and water districts should be looking at this very carefully and taking appropriate measures to prepare for high flows," said Randy Julander with the Utah Snow Survey. "We have a month and half to get ready to prepare." That is not to say there will be a repeat because it is all in the hands of Mother Nature. "When you look at 1983, our snowpacks were normal, it just kept snowing into June," said Brian McInerney, hydrologist with the National Weather Service in Salt Lake City. "That spring weather is what we do not want to replicate." Snowpack in the Wasatch Mountains east of Salt Lake County is at 145 percent of normal, McInerney said, and these latest storms are only going to add to that number and drive up the snowpack even more. "We could have some problems, but if we shut off the rainfall and snow, we should be OK with regard to the flood threat." McInerney is reluctant to make any comparisons to 1983, which saw widespread and legendary flooding problems throughout much of the state, from water-covered I-15 in Juab County to the Thistle mudslide in Spanish Fork Canyon. Conservative estimates put the statewide spring flood damage totals at $200 million, and President Ronald Reagan granted "disaster" status to 12 impacted counties. In that year, the water content in the snowpack continued to increase into early May, followed by a rapid escalation in temperatures. "One thing we are looking at very critically here is what kind of April we have," Julander said. "April we want as smoking hot as we can possibly get it and then a dry, normal kind of May." Julander said warm temperatures will melt the lower and mid-level snowpacks at manageable levels, and leave the "bomb proof" high mountain snowpack alone. But even warmer weather in April that may be accompanied by normal precipitation does not equate to flood disasters, McInerney stressed. "The most important component to this picture is the spring weather, and we do not know what that is just yet." Water managers at districts throughout much of the state are already reducing the water levels at reservoirs to make room for runoff. "The state of Utah is pretty much a favorable dumping grounds for snow this year," Chris Hogge said Friday in a briefing to members of the Weber Basin Water Conservancy District Board of Trustees. Hogge, the district's manager over water supply and irrigation, said there's been a concerted effort to draw down the levels of all eight reservoirs within the basin. "We're making space in the reservoirs for a high expected runoff flows." Tage Flint, the district's general manager, said with the snowpack similar to 1983's, "we have to see how it melts and how it comes out. We get a lot of Monday morning quarterbacking in years like this." Flint said 2 inches of rainfall in Morgan County in mid-March caused the banks of the Weber River to overflow in farm country in west Weber, but there was no damage. "It was surprising to see it that high in the middle of March." Flint later said the district and others are better prepared for springtime anomalies than they were 28 years ago. "It's impossible to predict what kind of spring we are going to have, but we try to prepare for some of those worst cases as opposed to not. The worst cases are where the dams can't control all the floods." McInerney said while reservoir managers are concerned with the volume of flow in a river - that is how much is coming down at any given time - city and county public works folks will be more closely keeping an eye on peak rates - how high that water actually gets. To that end, McInerney is making the rounds in Summit County and elsewhere in the state to give advice to those worried about street flooding and storm sewer systems should urban waterways become overrun. He'll address a conference next week at Utah State University in Logan on spring runoff predictions based on what's known so far. With snowpack levels at record or above record levels in multiple areas throughout the state - enhanced with high moisture storms not seen in eight years - Utah's water year that is due to officially end April 1 is rounding out to be among the best. As is typical in Utah, the atypical accumulation of water - be it in the form of a drought or deluge - has everyone on their toes. "It is sweet," Julander quipped, referencing the snowpack. "What can you say except for hot diggity dog . but if April is cold and wet, it's Katy bar the door." Written by Amy Joi O'Donoghue <mailto:aodonoghue@ksl.com> with contributions from Jed Boal <mailto:jboal@ksl.com> Dave Shearer Harbormaster Great Salt Lake State Marina 801-209-9142

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Lakeside Field Trip
by Dave Shearer 24 Mar '11

24 Mar '11

GSL Slip Renters, We are getting close to the GSL Lakeside Field Trip. It's only a short two weeks away. The itinerary for the trip is as follows. 8:30am SHARP - meet at marina parking lot. We will then convoy west on I-80 to exit 62 where we will then go north through the bombing range. 10:30am (roughly) - we arrive at the pump house for a guided tour (yes, you can take pictures inside the pump house) Then it is off to Lakeside and a view of the pink side of the lake. We will have lunch somewhere in this area. I will provide stuff for soft shell beef taco's Side dishes are welcome but not necessary BYO beverage. The trip is April 9th. If you have already RSVP'd, thanks. If not, please do so. So far it looks like a large turnout. The road along the railroad bed is rough, so you will want a vehicle with stout suspension. If you can ride with someone else or you have room for some people in your car, that would be great because we do have quite a few people. Thanks Dave Dave Shearer Harbormaster Great Salt Lake State Marina 801-209-9142

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Do you need Dive Work on your boat
by Dave Shearer 24 Mar '11

24 Mar '11

GSL Slip Renters, We have a diver coming out this Saturday to do some work for the marina. Do you need dive work on your boats, such as scrubbing the bottom or changing zincs? Checking keel cables. He will want to charge you. But it may be cheaper for you since you will not have to absorb travel time. If this is of interest to you please email me or you can just email Mike Patterson directly. His email is mipatters(a)yahoo.com I do not allow advertizing on this email site. But since the marina is utilizing him for some work for us. I thought I would just announce that he will already be here and this may save some of you some money. Thanks Dave Dave Shearer Harbormaster Great Salt Lake State Marina 801-209-9142

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Fw: [GSLYC] Fwd: PN 200800268 (UNCLASSIFIED)
by BRYANT PRATT 24 Mar '11

24 Mar '11

Members and Fellow Sailors, I am forwarding this information to you for your review and action. Great Salt Lake Minerals (GSLM) has requested of the Army Corp of Engineers, permission to dredge there intake canal on the North Bay of the Great Salt Lake to an elevation of 4188 ft. above sea level. The bottom of the mouth of our marina is about 4189-4190. The GSLM trench is located in the deepest part of the GSL and therefore would draw water from all areas of the lake down to the 4188 ft level. This would end our ability to access and sail on the GSL. I urge you to go to the attached links and study the information provided. Public comments are being heard. This is your chance to state your position on the GSLM proposal to the Corp of Engineers. Jerry Harwood Commodore Great Salt Lake Yacht Club

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Buoy set - Moved to tomorrow
by Dave Shearer 22 Mar '11

22 Mar '11

The buoy set planned for today is moved to tomorrow at 1pm Thanks Dave Shearer Harbormaster Great Salt Lake State Marina 801-209-9142

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YC Buoy Set
by Dave Shearer 22 Mar '11

22 Mar '11

GSL Slip Renters, It looks as if we will have a break in the weather today. We are going to try and set the yacht club buoys at about 3pm this afternoon. We could use a few extra hands. If you are available, please email me. Thanks. Dave Dave Shearer Harbormaster Great Salt Lake State Marina 801-209-9142

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Turning Water on to Docks.
by Dave Shearer 21 Mar '11

21 Mar '11

GSL Slip Renters. I am patiently waiting to turn the water back on to the docks. But the weather is not cooperating. Next week and the week after, there are multiple days of air temperatures below freezing. I will try to have the water back on sometime early April. Dave Dave Shearer Harbormaster Great Salt Lake State Marina 801-209-9142

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