Marina News
May 5th 2008
 
Current Conditions
Lake Level:                    4195.9 (and still steady)
Water Temperature        60 degrees
Snowpack                    120% (highest percentage of the year)
 
 
Porta Potty Rinse Station
The repair continues to hold right now.  The porta-potty rinse station is working.  Hopefully it will hold out until a replacement can be installed late July.
 
Parking Lot Lights
Still working on getting the lights turned around in the parking lot.  This will hopefully be done this week.
 
Playground
The playground has temporarily been removed so it can be beefed up and resurfaced.
 
Unsupervised Kids
Ok, this is not coming from me.  I have been directed by upper management to remind people of this park rule.  Rule R651-630-1 states "Children under 16 must be supervised.  Allowing children under 16 years of age to be unsupervised within the park system is prohibited."  I'm guessing what prompted this message is that there may have been too many kids playing in the marina office this past weekend while the park rangers were trying to conduct park business.
 
Reef Channel Buoys
The 'Reef Channel Buoys' were dropped back in the lake yesterday.  These buoys have changed from last year.  The two reef channel buoys are now green can buoys to properly reflect what side they should be passed on.  The two red buoys: R-R2 and R-R4 have been removed.  The green can buoys are R-G1 and R-G3.  the coordinates are as follows:
 
R-G1        40d 44.600m x 112d 13.120
 
R-G3        40d 44.330m x 112d 13.000m
 
When leaving the marina these buoys should be passed on your starboard side.  Use these buoys at your own risk.  The recommended path is still the Deep Channel Buoys as opposed to the Reef Channel Buoys.  Boats with a draft of 4' or less should be able to use the Reef Channel Buoys.
 
REMEMBER to use these buoys.  Crossing over the reef can be very damaging to your boat as one of my crew members found out at 2:45am this morning when he borrowed MY boat.  My boat used to draw about 5'.  I now probably draw about 4'.
 
Opening Day for Great Salt Lake Yacht Club
Opening day activities were very successful.  The boat parade was well attended and the barbecue was awesome.  Congratulations and thank you to the Great Salt Lake Yacht Club for a successful event.
 
Boat Registrations
I have been reminded by the Park Rangers that they will be walking the docks the first of June checking for proper registrations.  Remember any vessel with a sail or motor must be properly registered.  Also, some of you have commented that your registrations have gone up this year.  Your fee base is the same.  But your registration fee did increase accross the board.  There has not been a fee adjustment in 25 years.  Fees were no longer keeping up with the cost of fuel and other expenses.  Unlike your fee based structure, the registration fee does go to operating state parks boats and paying for the boating program and other parks programs.
 
Another note about registrations.  Many of you have commented that you are being assessed high fees compared to past years.  Make sure, when you pay your registration, that it says sailboat.  Many of the registrations for sailboats are stating Personal Water Craft.  This is a much more expensive fee.  Be forceful with the tax commission that your boat registration needs to reflect "sailboat"
 
Round-The-Lake Road Trip
Just another reminder that we have another outreach program in August.  Like the Spiral Jetty trip, this is hosted by State Parks and is open to everyone.  The august trip is on the 23rd and 24th.  It is a road trip around Great Salt Lake.  We will be driving past the Golden Spike Monument, making stops at Monument Rock, Locomotive Springs, the ghost town of Kelton and drive down the west shore to a beach adjacent to Dolphin Island where we will camp for the night.  The next morning will continue our trip down the west shore for a view of Gunnison Island, down the Hogup mountains, Ladyfinger point, Hogup siding, Buenaventura canal, the pump station, down the causeway to lakeside and then down the bombing range back to I-80 and Great Salt Lake marina.  Please put this event on your schedule.
 
Interesting and Annoying Facts
These little bugs that have recently come out and have been bighting people are called No-See-Um's. They love to bight you in the head near your hair or hat line.  Most No-See-Ums never fly more than 350 feet from their breeding area.  Only the females bite and suck blood.  They need the protein in this blood to make their eggs.  Male no-see-ums are nectar feeders and do not bite.  The larvae of these pesky bugs can be found in water, mud or moist dead leaves (sound just like the shorelines of Great Salt Lake)  They especially like to live in the dying plants along the edge of a salt marsh.  Mosquito repellant is recommended to keep them under control.
 
Upcoming events
 
May 7th       Wednesday                    GSLYC Wednesday Night Fun Race
May 10th    Saturday                          Utah Crew Brine Shrimp Sprints
May 10th & 11th    Saturday & Sunday    GSLYC Miera Spit Cruise
May 10th    Saturday                          GSLYC Double Handed Offshore Race
May 14th    Wednesday                      GSLYC Wednesday Night Race #1
May 17th & 18th Saturday & Sunday  GSLYC Spring Regatta #2
May 21st    Wednesday                      UHP Dispatch and Salt Lake County Search & Rescue Mtgs at GSL (Parking lot may be crowded)
May 21st    Wednesday                      GSLYC Wednesday Night Race #2
May 24th    Saturday                          GSLYC Reynolds Cup (80 Mile Race)
May 28th    Wednesday                     UHP Dispatch mtg at GSL (Parking lot may be crowded)
May 28th    Wednesday                     GSLYC Wednesday Night Race #3
 
Thank you
Dave Shearer
Harbormaster
Great Salt Lake Marina