Lake Powell's Houseboat Launches Running Dry

Record low water levels are sinking Lake Powell's houseboat industry as climate change threatens water supplies in the West.

2 minute read

August 5, 2021, 9:11 AM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Lake Powell

Johnny Adolphson / Shutterstock

Historically low water levels in Lake Powell, the reservoir formed by the Glen Canyon Dam and one of the Southwest's biggest water sources and recreational destinations, is disrupting the recreational industry in the area and threatening water supplies, reports Annette McGivney in the Guardian. "The National Park Service abruptly announced earlier this month that houseboats could no longer use the Wahweap Launch Ramp, the busiest boat launch site in the area. Boats already cast out into the water were warned they had less than a week to return to land, or risk getting marooned."

The lake's water line recently "reached a historic low of 3,554ft, a level that has not been seen since 1969, when the reservoir was first filled. The giant reservoir is currently three-quarters empty and will keep dropping at least through next spring due to record low snowpack levels in the Colorado River basin." Of seven public boat launch ramps, just one remains reliably operational. "But that too may soon become inaccessible."

Meanwhile, "[a]s water managers and the Park Service scramble to adapt an infrastructure that was designed to function optimally when Lake Powell was full – which last happened in 1999 – some environmentalists are fighting to protect the nearly 100,000 acres of land that has emerged from beneath the high water mark." Eric Balken, executive director of the Glen Canyon Institute, says houseboating is just one of many recreational options people can access as the water line drops and Glen Canyon–vividly captured in Edward Abbey's seminal book Desert Solitaire–reemerges from the depths. "We are not anti houseboat, we are just pro-Glen Canyon," says Balken. "We want the ecological values of Glen Canyon to be part of the discussion about how to move forward during climate change."

Friday, July 30, 2021 in The Guardian

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Rendering of proposed protected bikeway in Santa Clara, California.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant

A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

July 17 - San José Spotlight

Group of anti-gentrification protesters holding signs like "Tourist go home" in Mexico City.

Mexico City Anti-Gentrification Plan Aims to Half Housing Deficit

The plan comes in response to protests that targeted ‘digital nomads’ who locals blame for driving up housing costs.

July 17 - Mexico News Daily

Small oundabout with plants on neighborhood street.

Chicago Has Quietly Built Hundreds of Neighborhood Traffic Circles

Thanks largely to one alderperson’s efforts, the city has made mini-roundabouts a key piece of its road safety strategy.

July 17 - WBEZ