This hit the airwaves this morning, June 19, 2008 and is going to affect travel to and from Lake Powell from the South for several months.

Driving through "the cut" by Bitter Springs, AZ, up or down the mountain pass, coming to or going from the Page - Lake Powell area is going to be significantly more difficult as they upgrade the road.

Here is the news release from the Arizona Department of Transportation

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Construction Delays Expected on US 89 South of Page

June 18, 2008 BITTER SPRINGS -

Drivers on US Highway 89 south of Page, Arizona, should expect delays this summer, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT). Beginning Monday morning, June 23, 2008, ADOT will begin a new roadway improvement project just north of the US 89A junction and the community of Bitter Springs, which will extend north through “the cut” toward Page and Lake Powell.

Initially, drivers should expect daily changes in traffic patterns, and some project work will require restricting the roadway to one lane. During lane closures, flaggers and pilot vehicles may guide motorists through the project area. Speed limits in the project area will be reduced to 25 mph. Also, vehicle travel lanes will be restricted to widths of 10 feet or less during construction hours. Travelers should plan for delays of approximately 30 minutes.

Hours of construction will be 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. (MST), Monday through Thursday, from June 23 through July 10. However, during the Fourth of July holiday weekend, all lanes will be open beginning at 6 p.m. Wednesday, July 2, through 6 a.m. Monday, July 7. Construction hours and traffic control measures are expected to change in mid July to accommodate paving operations; periodic updates will be available on the project hotline and Web site. Also, drivers should expect increased truck traffic on US 89 between Gray Mountain, Arizona, and the project area.

As part of the $3.9 million project, workers will replace the pavement from milepost (MP) 524 to MP 531. The project also includes resurfacing existing paved turnouts, striping and signing, installing guard rail, seeding and completing other related work. ADOT anticipates work will be completed by mid September. ADOT advises motorists to drive safely as construction crews will be working on the roadway throughout the duration of the project. Motorists must obey all posted restrictions throughout the project area. Message boards and other traffic signs will provide additional construction details.

Jason Hurd Intrinsic Consulting

928.522.6015 - office 928.522.6016 -

fax 928.607.7156 - cell

www.intrinsicinfo.com

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Just want to give a "shout out" to the folks over at

Water Data. Com

Who provide the site

Lake Powell Water Data

Living next to a huge lake, much of what happens in our communities and in our business is directly tied to what happens with the Lake. I think most folks who live and work near a large recreational area have the same situtation.

For several years now Lake Powell has been experiencing drought conditions and just this year, we seem to be breaking out of it. The Cut at Castle Rock has been closed for more than three years, which saves boaters and average of an hour plus 12 miles as they head up lake. Just a week ago, the CUT Opened.

Lake Powell Water Data is an awesome site which tracks not only inflow, outflow, average land temperature and average water temperature but also what launch ramps, and passage ways are open.

The also have this type of data for

Flaming Georg

Blue Mesa

Lake Navajo

Lake Mead

Lake Mohave

Lake Havasu

I am not associated with these folks but think they do a great job. Anyone who lives near one of these lake should check it out!

Interested in purchasing Lake Powell Real Estate ~ Click here

Just want to give a "shout out" to the folks over at

Water Data. Com

Who provide the site

Lake Powell Water Data

Living next to a huge lake, much of what happens in our communities and in our business is directly tied to what happens with the Lake. I think most folks who live and work near a large recreational area have the same situtation.

For several years now Lake Powell has been experiencing drought conditions and just this year, we seem to be breaking out of it. The Cut at Castle Rock has been closed for more than three years, which saves boaters and average of an hour plus 12 miles as they head up lake. Just a week ago, the CUT Opened.

Lake Powell Water Data is an awesome site which tracks not only inflow, outflow, average land temperature and average water temperature but also what launch ramps, and passage ways are open.

The also have this type of data for

Flaming Georg

Blue Mesa

Lake Navajo

Lake Mead

Lake Mohave

Lake Havasu

I am not associated with these folks but think they do a great job. Anyone who lives near one of these lake should check it out!

The Lake Powell Real Estate Blog

Interested in purchasing Lake Powell Real Estate ~ Click here

Lake Powell's water level continues to rise this week to the tune of 6 to 9 inches a day. As of last Friday the lake crossed the less than 100 feet low threshold ~ an exiting event! In another ten days or so we would expect the Lake Powell Castle Rock Cut to be open again and boaters happily heading upstreeam without the 11 mile detour to Glen Canyon Dam.

Currently the rivers that feed Lake Powell are running at 124% of normal. By the time July rolls around the lake should be about 61 feet below full, the highest it has been since 1999. For locals and tourists alike this is a joyous event. Also power production at the dam will be increased about 12% over last year with the higher water levels.

The CUT at Castle Rock being opend means less gas used to get upstream and out of Wahweap Bay. Tourists and tour operators a like are thrilled at this prospect. It is such a problem with the Cut is closed that the National Park Service had proposed a plan to dredge the Cut this spring. The wet winter and cool, wet spring has made that unnecssary.

Overall Lake Powell is expected to increase 50 verticle feet this spring run off year. Good news for the west as Lake Powell is the savings account of water used by the downstream states of Arizona, Nevada, California and the country of Mexico.

See Also

Lake Powell Continues to Rise

Lake Powell's water level continues to rise this week to the tune of 6 to 9 inches a day. As of last Friday the lake crossed the less than 100 feet low threshold ~ an exiting event! In another ten days or so we would expect the Lake Powell Castle Rock Cut to be open again and boaters happily heading upstreeam without the 11 mile detour to Glen Canyon Dam.

Currently the rivers that feed Lake Powell are running at 124% of normal. By the time July rolls around the lake should be about 61 feet below full, the highest it has been since 1999. For locals and tourists alike this is a joyous event. Also power production at the dam will be increased about 12% over last year with the higher water levels.

The CUT at Castle Rock being opend means less gas used to get upstream and out of Wahweap Bay. Tourists and tour operators a like are thrilled at this prospect. It is such a problem with the Cut is closed that the National Park Service had proposed a plan to dredge the Cut this spring. The wet winter and cool, wet spring has made that unnecssary.

Overall Lake Powell is expected to increase 50 verticle feet this spring run off year. Good news for the west as Lake Powell is the savings account of water used by the downstream states of Arizona, Nevada, California and the country of Mexico.

See Also

Lake Powell Continues to Rise

I was driving home this afternoon from Page, AZ to Big Water, Utah and there was a storm blowing in. I decided to take five and shoot a couple of photos. The Lake Powell area is truly unique and when the storms blow in, wow.

95% of Lake Powell is in Utah, 5% in Arizona, but the business side is mostly Arizona. The Glen Canyon Dam as well as Wahweap Marina are both on the Arizona side of the line.

I sized these down to about 1/2 of what they were shot at but the clarity still looks good.

The top two photos are in Arizona and the bottom one in Utah. Stateline Marina is the dividing line and is just out of the photo to the right in the bottom picture.

The Lodge is behind the trees. Castle Rock is the large rock on the left. In another two months there will be water over the land to the right of Castle Rock making an easier passage up lake. As the lake is coming up just under six inches a day right now crews have to wench up the docks and marina so that it stays attached to the land.

The Coves is a great swimming spot!

Lake Powell Arizona Utah Real Estate Blog

1st Quarter Real Estate Market Report for the Page-Lake Powell-Greenehaven area.

Total Sales - $2,893,201

Total Units Sold - 15

* 1 - Commercial Business

* 1 - Commercial Lot

* 5 -Manufactured Homes

* 6 - Single Family Homes

* 1 - Single Family Lot

* 1 - Patio Home

Two commercial leases were also completed.

Average Days on Market: 195

Average price per square foot residential: $108.43

First quarter last year sales: $3,226,226

For more information

Call me - 928-691-6444

Lake Powell Arizona Utah Real Estate Blog

Page Lake Powell has a new police chief, Charles Dennis. Chief Dennis is coming to Page from Idaho where he has held two different positions as Deputy Sheriff.

Chief Dennis and his wife have four children, one who just joined the Army. Apparently none of them are going to miss the snow in this move to the high, wind-blown desert of Northern Arizona.

He feels it is going to take him 3 to 4 months to get caught up with everything here, but that there are no large problems looming in the city right now that require immediate attention.

Page is a community of about 8,000 residents but we will see about 1 million less tourists here a year than at the Grand Canyon. Some years that can be 2 million folks, other times 4. Page police have a unique responsibility to keep the residents and visitors safe which can be challenging when many of our visitors do not speak English.

There is also the responsbility for the Chief to work closely with Navajo Nation law enforcement and keep good lines of communication open.

Both Big Water, Utah and Page, Arizona now have new head law enforcement officers in the last 30 days.

We send them our best wishes.

Lake Powell Arizona Utah Real Estate Blog

On April 15th, 2008 Gary Patterson became the new Marshal in Big Water, Utah.

His background is with the Navy, which he joined shortly after high school, and years of service in the National Guard. He is a Georgia native who decided he loved the desert south-west and with that... wah lah, we have a new Marshal.

Big Water is a tricky area because the small amount of residents (420) does not indiciate the work level. Lake Powell is a tourist area and sees about 1 million visitors less a year than the Grand Canyon. Many of the visitors will travel on highway 89 through Big Water as they head to Lake Powell, The Grand Canyon, Zion National Park or Bryce Canyon.

One of the large challenges has been to get everyone to slow down on the highway. Recently the speed limit was reduced from 65 to 55 and that is helping. We are also getting two more turn lanes in East Big Water.

Big Water has been without a Marshal since Gil Trujillo left in October of 07 to help train police forces in Iraq.

The winter months in Big Water can be very slow, but it is nice to have the new Marshall prior to the height of the tourist season.

Big Water is fortunate to have someone with officer Patterson's background in the position as the Marshall.

Wahweap only had water flowing in it during spring run off, or during the monsoon season in the summer. The water would stagnate in pools and become unsafe to use. It is thought they named it Wahweap as a warning to their own children and to other's passing through of the danger of the stagnant water.

The Mormon Pioneers got to this area about the same time as John Wesley Powell, the 1860's. I plan on doing posts on Lee's Ferry - one heck of a story there with the graveyard and the only crossing of the Colorado for hundreds of miles. It's also one of my favorite places to hang out today.

Art Greene was one of the next really influential people in the area leading tours not only down the Colorado river, but opening a trading post and leading folks to Rainbow Bridge. Greenehaven, Arizona is named after him.

The Glen Canyon Dam was started in 1956 and finished in 1966. Waweap creek then filled up and became Wahweap Bay on Lake Powell!

Lake Powell is coming up 4 vertical inches a day this last week. It is projected to see a 50 foot increase in vertical elevation which will make this photo look much different by the first of July.

For more information

The Lake Powell Arizona Utah Real Estate Blog