Lake Powell shrinks, marinas are having to adapt to dwindling water levels

Lake Powell has been shrinking dramatically, and marinas around the Utah-Arizona reservoir are having to overhaul operations as water levels fall. Matt Barrett, who visits the lake annually, said low water means many boat ramps have dried up, making loading and unloading harder. Officials and marina managers cite a record-dry winter, extreme heat, decades of overuse, chronic drought and climate change as pressures pushing the reservoir toward historic lows. Lake Powell is currently about 23% full and roughly 33 feet (10 meters) from levels so low that hydropower can’t be produced. Marinas have closed or moved ramps, added new ones and relocated temporary facilities to deeper water.