Going to Lake Mead this weekend? Pack patience, life jacket

Lake Mead National Recreation Area officials are calling for patience from boaters as the park experiences one of its busiest weekends of the year.

That’s because declining water levels stemming from a two-decade drought have affected launch ramps on the lake.

“As lanes get reduced, we’re not able to have as many people launch at one time as we can,” said park Chief of Staff Greg Hauburger. “So just be prepared and be patient. We’re doing the best we can. We’ve got some great maintenance crews doing a great job to keep all the launch locations accessible.”

This year, the Colorado River Basin is projected to experience its second-driest year in more than a century of record keeping, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation said. The driest year on record was 2002.

Declining water levels brought on by the drought have forced Hemenway Harbor to close, Hauburger said.

“And we’re pushing people to Boulder Harbor for the next couple weeks while we do some temporary construction with pipe mats to extend the launch ramp,” he said.

But in the next month or two, the water at Boulder Harbor is expected to drop to a level that would cut off access to a channel, leaving boaters with no way to enter or exit the harbor.

Temple Bar and South Cove, which typically have two launch lanes open, have been reduced to one lane, Hauburger said.

Hauburger said visitors should check the lake’s website, nps.gov/lake, for updated launch ramp conditions.

But once visitors do make it out on the water, the best way to stay safe is to wear a life jacket, said Nick Duhe, a boating education coordinator for the Nevada Department of Wildlife.

The other major safety factor, he said, is avoiding drinking and boating.

“Just don’t do it,” he said. “Wait until you get home.”

Duhe also encouraged visitors to take a boating education course, if time allows. Such courses are required for Nevada boaters born after Jan. 1, 1983, he said. But those who are not required to take a course would still benefit, even if they are seasoned boaters, he said.

Contact Blake Apgar at bapgar @reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5298. Follow @blakeapgar on Twitter.