Lake Level
4195.6
Lake Level Trend
Dropping ¯
Water Temperature
82°
Hypothermia
Index
Exhaustion: Indefinite / Death: Indefinite
Current
Flows
Bear, Weber/Ogden -> Low / Jordan & Goggins -> Moderate
(half knot)
Weather
Report
We
have now left the spring frontal weather pattern and are now squarly in the
Summer Monsoonal weather pattern. This is charactarized by hot, dry
weather with afternoon thunderstorms. These thunderstorms develop over the
West Desert mountains during the day and then march towards the Great Salt Lake
in the later afternoon and evening hours and climax around midnight. Many
of these thunderstorms are easy to spot while they develop over the Stansbury
Mountains and Stansbuy Island. But others can be very tricky and very
dangerous. These are the ones that pop up in the Tooele Valley and pop up
over the Oquirrh Mountains with no to little warning. The current weather
charts show that we will remian in this pattern for some time now.
The
long term forecast (next three months) show above average temperatures and below
average precipitation. This is not a good thing for the lake. This
will accelerate evaporation. The long term charts for this fall and winter
show a more upbeat forecast with average temperatures and precipitation. (Long
term forecasts are highly unreliable though).
The
Drought reports show no drought conditions for Utah except the extreme north
(Bear River Drainage) which show abnormally dry to severe drought. The
forecast is for persistant drought conditions in this area only.
What
does this all mean? It means a hot, dry summer with dry thunderstorms in
the afternoons and evenings bringing potentially dangerous wind/weather
conditions to the Great Salt Lake at times. Sailing should be great this
summer if you just keep an eye for the thunderheads.
Why
Didn't the Lake Come Up This Year?
Boy,
with all those reports of a record snowpack, you would think the Great Salt Lake
would be having a banner runoff year. Well, we had a great snowpack in the
Wasatch Front thanks to the Great Salt Lake.
We
had a good fall and early winter for precipitation thanks to the Pacific
storms. And then almost nothing. Moisture failed to make it from the
the Pacific. Instead we had DRY cold fronts cross the Great Salt
Lake. This cold air would hit the relatively warm waters of the Great Salt
Lake and suck moisture from the lake. Then these fronts would hit the
Wasatch Front and dump Great Salt Lake moisture in them. When we
finally warmed up this spring, the water came gushing down out of the mountains
. . . . and right into the ground!
Since
January 1st we have recorded a -3.18 inch defecit in precipitation. This
is a significant defecit. For the water year we have recorded a -1.66
defecit.
There
was plenty of snow for skiing. There is now plenty of water in the
reservoirs for fishing and water skiing. There is plenty of water in the
rivers for kayaking and rafting. There is plenty of water for watering
lawns and drinking. All courtesy of the that incredible weather engine
- The Great Salt Lake.
Certainly
shows how important Great Salt Lake is to the lives of everyone on the Wasatch
Front.
River
Flow
Surprisingly,
we have seen a little bump in water flow from the Bear River. This bump is
expected to last for the next ten days, slowly tapering off. This is good
news as the Bear River is the greatest river contributer to the Great Salt
Lake.
The
Ogden river has seen a high spike all the sudden. This spike is expected
to last for next little while.
The
Weber river is, well . . . doing nothing.
The
Jordan River and Goggins drainage are now beginning to decrease in flow.
Two weeks ago the currents were running strong with the Goggins current running
nearly a knot outside the mouth of the marina. This has now dropped to a
half a knot. Still helps though.
None
of the rivers are producing enough moisture to stabilize the lake but this may
be a short term releif to the heavy evaporation going on right now with the
lake.
The
Reef Report
Quiet.
Thanks!
Deep
Channel Buoys vs Reef Channel Buoys
The
lake is getting shallow now. We highly recommend you use only the Deep
Channel Buoys now. Use the Reef Channel Buoys at your own risk and time
(you may wait awhile to be towed off).
Upcoming
Services
Wait
for news shortly of Ice Services returning to the marina. We are working
out the final details.
Upcoming
Events
July
9
Wednesday Night Race #8 hosted by GSLYC
July
10
National
Parks visits the Great Salt Lake
July
12
Partners
Cup hosted by GSLYC
Luau party hosted by GSLYC
Concert at Saltair (Traffic may be difficult at
exit 104)
July
16
Wednesday
Night Race #9 hosted by GSLYC
Concert at Saltair (traffic may be difficult at
exit 104)
July
19 &
20
Summer Regatta #1 hosted by GSLYC
July
19
Concert at
Saltair (traffic may be difficult at exit 104)
July
21
Concert at
Saltair (traffic may be difficult at exit 104)
July
23
Wednesday Night Special Race hosted by GSLYC
July
24
Pioneer Day
- Watch the fireworks from the lake.
July
30
Wednesday
Night Race #10 hosted by GSLYC
August
2 &
3 Summer Regatta
#2 hosted by GSLYC
August
2
Movie Night hosted by
GSLYC
Row For The Cure hosted by GSLR
August
6
Wednesday Night #11 hosted by
GSLYC
August
13 Wednesday
Night #12 hosted by GSLYC
August
16
Wine & Cheese Raft-up hosted by GSLYC
August
20
Wednesday Night #13 hosted by
GSLYC
August
23 &
24
Summer Make-up (if necessary) hosted by GSLYC
Camp Around The Lake hosted by Great Salt Lake State Marina
(state parks) *see note below
August
30 &31
Governor's Cup hosted by GSLYC
(If
we missed your event, please email me and I will add it to the
schedule)
*
Camp Around The Lake
We
are planning on a road trip around the lake. This road trip will take us
up north to Monument Rock, Locomotive Springs, the ghost town of Kelton and the
west shore of Great Salt Lake where we plan on camping near Dolphin
Island. The next morning we will wander down the Hogup Mountains and the
Buenaventura pump and canal. Then down to Lakeside, the Eagle Mountain
Bombing Range and then back to the marina.
Gas
Prices are quite high now. This may have had an impact on many that were
wanting to do this trip. So I am soliciting you for your opinions.
Do we continue with the trip as planned? Or do we do a shorter day
trip? We have a couple options. The trip around the lake is around
300 miles. Please let me know.
Thank
you
Dave Shearer
Harbormaster
Great Salt Lake
Marina
Have you checked your docklines
lately?