Barry Wirth, regional public affairs officer for the bureau, pointed out that all of these numbers will depend on weather conditions this spring.

"We were a little concerned back at the first of March. Last year we were looking good going into March, then we got the dry southern winds and very little precipitation and the whole picture changed," he said.

The lake was expected to rise 15 to 20 feet last year, but actually rose less than 10 feet.

"What people have to understand, though, is that Lake Powell is doing exactly what it was designed to do, which is, among other things, to be a source for Lake Mead," said Wirth.

"If it were not for Lake Powell, Lake Mead would be dry right now and then we would be in big trouble. The lower (Colorado River) basin states would be telling the upper basin states to curtail use of the water because they have first priority. That's why Lake Powell exists. Early planners saw this day coming. No, (Lake Powell) is working as intended."

The annual release of water from Lake Powell — 8.23 million cubic-feet — is within a few hundred-thousand cubic-feet of water required to be released from Lake Mead each year, and is the reason Lake Mead has not dropped significantly during the drought years.

There have been other periods of high inflow into Lake Powell.

Back in 1993, the level of Lake Powell was down 90 feet and came up 65 feet. At one point the lake rose 24 inches in 24 hours. The following year it rose seven-feet over "full poll."

With the predicted rise in the lake, said Charlotte Obergh, management assistant for the National Park Service, "All of the boat ramps around the lake will be usable, certainly by Memorial Day, with the possible exception of the ramps at Hite and the public ramp at Antelope Point."

Ramps at Stateline and Wahweap have been extended and will be available for boat launching once the lake comes up roughly four feet.

The new ramp at Bullfrog Marina, which was supposed to be open last year but lowering levels left the ramp dry, will be available by mid-April and on into Memorial Day.

"This will be especially nice for the bigger boats. The gradual incline of the old ramp made it difficult to launch the bigger boats. The new ramp has a much steeper incline," said Steve Ward, director of public relations for ARAMARK, which holds concession rights on the lake. "Having two ramps at Bullfrog will make it much easier to launch boats."

Currently, anything that would typically be open at the marinas around the lake, is open. Lodging and restaurant services closed over the winter and reopened in mid-March.

The expected rise in the lake's level will not be enough to open the shortcut passage from Wahweap to the upper lake. The lake would have to rise another 20 feet to open the route, which means boats will have to continue to follow the river channel past Antelope Point.

Just how much the lake will actually rise this year will, as is always the case, ultimately depend on conditions this spring, that is, just how quickly the snow melts and how much makes it into the rivers that feed Lake Powell.

This much is certain, the lake will rise this spring.

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E-mail: grass@desnews.com