Precipitation gives a boost to recreation

It's that time of year when votes are taken for the top news story for 2005.

In the world of outdoor recreation here in Utah, there can be no argument that the No. 1 story would have to be the weather.

In some way or another it was involved in so many areas that affected recreational opportunities in 2005.

For example:

• Skiing. Last year, Utah received record snowfall, more than 600 inches at some resorts and, as a result, posted a record number of skiers.

• Lake Powell. After five years of below-normal inflow and a dropping lake level, the lake rose 53 feet. And, despite reports from the naysayers that it would lose all it inherited, the level has only dropped about seven feet at last report.

• River running. Again, after years of below-normal flows, spring runoffs hit five-year highs. At one point, the Colorado River through Cataract Canyon was running at nearly 70,000 cubic feet per second.

• Boating. The drought took its toll on Utah's boatable lakes and reservoirs, but this past summer most filled to capacity and remained high throughout the summer.

• Wildlife. Years of drought proved to be hard on Utah's wildlife, which resulted in a lower-than-normal birth rate among many of Utah's big game animals. Abundant water and thick vegetation this past summer resulted in higher production and greater survival. Also, despite record snowfall, the snow-warming cycle last winter was enough to keep losses to a minimum.

• Snowmobiling. Obviously, with all the snow Utah received last year, snowmobilers, along with skiers, were able to enjoy a long and snowy season.

• Fishing. Not only did the filling of reservoirs and lakes prove beneficial to fish and fishermen, but the abundance of water last summer meant higher natural production and greater production in the hatcheries.

Snow fell early and stayed late last season. Several Utah resorts received more than 600 inches of snowfall last season, which, when measured, was enough to bury a six-story building. The seasonal average for resorts like Alta and Snowbird is 500 inches.

And, when all the numbers were added together, the final count was 3,895,578 skier days, which was a 12 percent increase over the 2003-04 count of 3,386,141, which had also been a record.

Record snowfall also translated into an extended season. Snowbird was open for 201 days in 2004-05 — from Nov. 5 to July 4.