Snow-filled mountains mean super summer

I don't know how many people have considered what all this snow packed on the mountaintops will mean this summer.

Assuming the snow doesn't turn to water too quickly, what was a great winter will help to make this a great summer for outdoor enthusiasts.

Reservoirs will be full, most of them, anyway; lawns will get watered, rivers will return to steady flows, fish will have wider areas to swim and animals will be able to dine on an abundance of forest growth.

It's certain that many of the reservoirs that failed to fill last year will be full this summer, which is good news for the fishermen and boaters.

When reservoirs are low, new vegetation grows between the waterline and high-mark. This new growth is a haven for young fish, a place where they can hang out and hide from the larger fish interested in making them a meal.

This means a higher survival rate, which translates to more fish being able to grow up to become big fish.

It's also a benefit to fishermen because they know this, and they know that the bigger fish come in to cruise the shallows in hopes of catching a smaller fish venturing too far from cover.

With respect to boating, reservoirs have progressively shrunk over the past few summers, which has made boating space a real premium, not to mention the fact that some waters were lost because launch ramps ended short of the water.

The fact that many of the reservoirs will fill this spring means more surface acres to boat about. And, with the higher levels, it means the boating season will be longer and less crowded.

This is especially good news for Lake Powell boaters. Launching was a big problem last year as the summer waned. This year launching boats shouldn't be a problem.

When the level comes up just one-tenth what is expected between now and July, which is some 45 feet, most of the ramps, with the exception of Hite and Antelope Point, will be usable.

This means there will be two ramps at Wahweap — the regular Wahweap ramp and the Stateline ramp — that will be open for the busy Memorial Day traffic, and two at Bullfrog — the main ramp and the new ramp located west of the Bullfrog store.

The high water year will also make for great river rafting, whether by tubing sections of the Provo River or running whitewater through Cataract on the Colorado River.

With the good snowfall in Colorado, the Colorado River will be running high, especially during peak runoff months of May and June. The high runoffs, besides offering a great ride, will also help clean and scour beaches along popular stretches.