Local Boater Program Allows Limited Access To Lake Powell
New restrictions limit spread of invasive quagga mussels.
As a first step in the reopening of national parks announced by President Donald Trump and Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt, the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD), in cooperation with the National Park Service (NPS), is launching the Arizona Lake Powell Local Boater Program to allow limited, day-use access at Lake Powell in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area for any boat stored within 20 miles of Page, Ariz..
Local boaters who wish to participate in the program must enroll by submitting an application, available at www.azgfd.gov/ais. Implementation of the program will occur only at the Wahweap Marina boat ramp beginning Friday, April 24, and continuing every weekend (Friday-Sunday, 7 a.m-8 p.m.) until the NPS general closure order is rescinded. Boaters who are enrolled will be allowed to launch and retrieve their boats within the listed hours of operation.
All boat ramps on Lake Powell have been closed to limit the spread of the invasive quagga mussel, as it was not possible to follow Centers for Disease Control recommendations and safely conduct standard inspections and decontaminations. This geographic restriction is in place to minimize the spread of invasive species. AZGFD and NPS encourage safe boating and fishing when possible, while still limiting the spread of aquatic invasive species (AIS).
Boaters are reminded to observe all applicable travel regulations within Utah and the Navajo Nation. All boaters must comply with local restrictions and AIS laws. Boaters may not remove boats from the immediate area to limit the spread of AIS. Boats from outside the immediate area of the Wahweap Marina ramp, including other parts of Arizona, will remain subject to the NPS general closure order. Boaters will not be permitted to enter Utah in areas around Lake Powell to ensure compliance with the closure order.
For more details about this program and to enroll, please visit www.azgfd.gov/ais.
