Boulder Harbor reborn as water flows in from Lake Mead
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Water is flowing into Boulder Harbor again at Lake Mead, bringing back some fond memories for people who used to launch their boats there.
“It’s exciting to see the water levels coming back up through the winter right now. I’m hopeful we will continue to see it rise to the point where Boulder Harbor will be accessible again,” Bryan C. Sloan said. He owns the franchises for TowBoatUS at Lake Mead, Lake Mohave and in Needles, California.
Sloan called Boulder Harbor the best ramp at Lake Mead because of the wide ramp that can handle more boat launches and retrievals at the same time. The ramp closed in June of 2021, and concrete barriers block access now. It’s just north of Boulder Beach, inside the park from the entrance near Boulder City.
“When the ramp closed down due to the low water levels I noticed a significant drop in day use boaters on the lake which affected local businesses,” Sloan said.
The channel connecting Boulder Harbor to Lake Mead on Jan. 5, 2024. (Photo courtesy, Michael Zauner) The closed boat ramp at Boulder Harbor on Jan. 5, 2024. (Photo courtesy, Michael Zauner) The channel connecting Boulder Harbor to Lake Mead on Jan. 5, 2024. (Photo courtesy, Michael Zauner) Ducks cruise around the Boulder Harbor area on Jan. 5, 2024. (Photo courtesy, Michael Zauner)
Michael Zauner of Henderson posted photos from the harbor in early January as the channel brought water from the lake. He said the channel is “a good half mile” from where the lake used to be. The benefits of an extremely wet winter last year have brought the level at Lake Mead to 1,070 feet above sea level, and it’s expected to go 2 1/2 feet higher by the end of February. The lake is now 28 1/2 feet higher than it was on July 27, 2022, when it was at its lowest point since the reservoir was filled in the 1930s.
But that’s not enough to restore operations, and the lake is expected to begin dropping in March.
“There are no plans at this point to reopen what remains of the Boulder Harbor launch ramp anytime in the foreseeable future,” a Lake Mead National Recreation Area spokesman said this week.
On Aug. 1, 2023, park officials said public access to the shoreline at Boulder Harbor would no longer be available. “The area is now the Boulder Harbor Walking Trail,” a news release said.
Zauner said the channel had grown a little wider by Tuesday.
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