Lake Powell - Bullfrog Marina Moving Across Channel For At Least 2 Years To Avoid Stranding As Reservoir Drops

[hatrack]

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Bullfrog Marina — a massive floating dock with hundreds of houseboats stored in its slips — is now being moved to deeper waters on the lake’s south side. “It’s an engineering feat that hasn’t been done in this capacity,” said Robert Knowlton, regional vice president with Aramark, the concessionaire that runs the marina. “Probably not in my lifetime, that I’m aware of.” But desperate times call for desperate measures. If the marina doesn’t move, Knowlton said the whole thing would likely be sitting on dry ground by July. Barges will push the marina and its boats across the lake to Halls Crossing — a 2.5-hour drive by car. Knowlton expects the move to be completed by mid-June, with a small boat to shuttle people from Bullfrog.

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Crews move red dirt as part of a primitive ramp project to extend boat access in Bullfrog Bay, April 28, 2026. (David Condos/KUER)

There’s still a lot of water in Powell, he said, it’s just a matter of finding ways for people to get out to it. And his company’s committed to keeping the Bullfrog side of the lake alive. “We’re putting, I mean, exorbitant amounts of time and money to do this,” he said. “This is not a short-term goal for us.”

The idea is to eventually return the marina to Powell’s north side near a deeper ramp that’s planned along the lake’s main channel at Stanton Creek, just south of Bullfrog. The National Park Service estimates the ramp project will cost $73.4 million and allow access to the water even at an elevation of 3,500 feet — roughly 25 feet below current lake levels.

It’ll likely be a couple of years before the ramp is completed and the marina is moved back, Knowlton said.In the meantime, the park service is building a primitive ramp, essentially extending the main Bullfrog launch that’s closed due to low water. That would allow boats to continue accessing the lake even after the water drops beyond the reach of Bullfrog’s north ramp. Knowlton anticipates the primitive ramp will open this summer.

He’s hopeful the recently announced water releases from Flaming Gorge reservoir “slows the bleeding” — preventing Powell from getting much lower this summer. And for those who do get out on the lake, he said, the receding waters have revealed new caves and arches that have been submerged for years.

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Ed. - Increased Flaming Gorge releases began on Apr. 23rd and ended on May 14th, so that ship has sailed, and as of this writing (5/25/26) Powell is still below 24% of capacity. There'll likely be a little bump from the little snowpack that's out there, but I'm guessing the water year will end with Powell's waterline between 3505 and 3510 FASL.

https://utahnewsdispatch.com/2026/05/17/lake-powell-is-draining-away-from-bullfrog-marina-now-it-has-to-move/

[littlemissmartypants]

1. Is NPS "paying" for this?