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Spent a great afternoon today on UL with my buddy Dave. We didn't catch anything, but really had a great time, except for the lack of water. WE launched at Pelican Bay so we could fish the west side and it is closer to Dave's home in case he needed to get off the water fast.
There was less than 18 inches in the harbor, even at the end of the ramp. I talked to Saratoga Springs City this morning and they said the harbor had been dredged !! REALLY, couldn't verify that. As we got to the mouth of the harbor the depth DECRESED to barely a ft. Had to keep the mtr trimmed out almost all the way to get out.
After idling almost a half mile out of the harbor, we got into 2 ft of water and were able to get on plane. Ran north looking for anything to fish, found nothing. Went to look for the Abyss, found it, only 9.5 ft. deep. The lake around it was only 2.5-3.
I put a new Minn Kota Terrova on the front of the Big Red Skeeter this spring. What a cool unit. We set it on 3.5, which kept us at about .9MPH and worked the " shorre line" back to the Bay. Just North of the Bay, we kept going from 2.5 to .9 ft, back and forth. Eventually, we stopped dead, grounded almost a 1/2 mile off the shore. I finally had to get out and push us off the sand bar, only 8-10 inches deep, pushed till be were in 18 inches and used the troller to get out into 2.5 ft. I was amazed that there were humps out there. And not mud and muck, but gravel, pea to 1" gravel, fairly clean to boot !! Utah Lake never ceases to amaze me.
So, again, to Cat Tec, BLK, and the rest of you Utah Lake a holics, what depth of water are you finding and where ?? I can't afford to polish my SS prop on the rocks and gravel out there any more !!!
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i launched at pelican bay late last year and there were large rocks all over the ramp area i destroyed a set of dual props in doing so so i will pass on ever launching at pelican bay again.
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That's a bummer of a tale. The launch channel at Lincoln is pretty consistent at about 2 feet. The county is doing their best to block the channel with buoys but once past them it opens up quickly. The run to Bird Island is consistently just over 7 feet deep but the usual danger lurks all around the island. It is better than it was last Fall but still has a long ways to go. Don't know if the run off will ever reach UL this year. Wait and see game.
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Looks like I need to go south !! any chance we can wade out, put a rope or cable on that rock and pull it out ?? And why is the county trying to block the channel ??
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It's a good thing I use a toon.[sly]
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The state parks couldn't get the bouys in any further last fall, stay North of the red one, South of the green one one your way out. Be careful around the middle of dock there are ROCKS, when you exit the harbor stay to the east as you head out and back in, looking at my marks on the west post that holds the dock the lake is dropped about an inch. Once you out be care full a 100 yds of shore some of those shelf's go out a long way, only have been stirring up mud in reverse in the harbor with the motor trimmed up, hope the run off starts soon, just a trickle in the SP fork river know.
Just be careful and you will be OK.
Could probably scoot those rocks under the dock with a pitch fork.
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O.C.F.D.
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We were at Lindon yesterday and only had 2-2.5 feet of water in the entire marina. Went out to the last buoy on the bubble up and marked exactly 4.0 feet of water. Watched one boat head out of the harbor, and they were churning up major mud for about a 100 yards or so before they got partially stuck. At that point, they maneuvered back around towards the mouth, and gunned it back into the harbor and headed out. Bet the impeller is pretty much shot on that out drive. We're going to need some major run off to fill that lake back up.
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How much water is the NSA building sucking up? It may be a bad coincidence, but ever since that site powered up and started using water from UL to cool itself, the water levels have never been the same.
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Some one else made that point today. Jordan River is running pretty heavy out of the lake, not irrigation season yet, so it must be used else where. Wonder who could shed some light on that subject !! I know they use a lot of water at the facility. Seems they could construct a holding pond, pump it out and then back to the pond, rather than taking it out of the lake, then sending it down stream where it goes into the Great Salt Lake, wasted !! Wonder if the state Div. of Water resources could shed some light on the subject !!
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I'm all in for an investigation!
I've been baffled at the water level, or lack thereof, at Utah Lake.
We supposedly had a good winter. It's been a wet spring... What gives?
I've heard others say that the water is still on it's way... but WHEN?!?!
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I was thinking we could tap there phones to see if there is a conspiracy here. I cross the river everyday to go to work and the water flow from the time they shut it down in late fall until they open it up does not change. I would think that the water requirements to cool the NSA server rooms would be fairly consistent. I doubt they are the culprits. I think it is the legal requirements between Utah and Salt Lake counties that go back to 1983 when Utah was flooding so bad. This is just a guess as well but I would not be surprised if it is required to protect some parts of the ecosystem with the migratory birds in the marsh areas on that end.
It is very hard to watch that water leaving our painfully low lake. I am hoping that these weather patterns keep up the good work for a while and we see a real good run off in May. It would help if people quit watering there lawns until it is needed. I bet 50% of my neighbors are watering on a reqular basis. It just isn't needed and it will prevent the roots from going deeper and they will have to water that much more in the summer.
Please if your your sprinkler clock is on and you have been watering do a little online research and turn off your system for a few more weeks. We all need to do our part.
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