Saturday, March 23, 2013

When is a Bridge a Ladder?

The ocean has tides, Powell Lake has cycles. High high water comes in July after spring rains and snow melt. October brings low low water after a long hot summer. Winter rains bring the lake back. Then in spring, the lake drops to a high low level because storms are less severe, and snow remains frozen in the high country.

Lake level is determined by rain, snow melt, and runoff. After a heavy storm, it's not unusual to see it go up several inches. Lake level is also controlled by a dam built mainly to provide electricity for the papermill.

This year the water's particularly low for early spring. More like October than March. We've had plenty of rain, so they must be releasing more water through the dam than usual.

Our cabin rides in 80 feet of water. We're lucky. Some cabins go aground when the lake level drops too much. We can adjust our steel cables to shore, but our "stiff leg" log holding us away from the cliff is no longer floating. It's high, dry, and mighty stiff.

And our access to shore is more like a ladder than a bridge. I sure hope we get plenty of spring runoff, or it is going to be a very dry summer. -- Margy

7 comments:

  1. Sitting here in thick slushy snow I can't wait for a bit of sunshine to dry things up!

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  2. Do you guys own the bit of land your ladder is attached to? What a great way of life.

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  3. Anonymous12:59 PM

    Wow, the water levels are really down. Perhaps it will be a wet spring to top them up.

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  4. We noticed the snow pack on the mountains is less this year compared to last year. I would not be surprised if we get early water resrtictions here.

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  5. very interesting. it's my first time here. visiting from skywatch.

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  6. I used to follow your blog from Calgary, as we were big fans of PR. Haven't been checking in so much since we moved here a few months ago. Then I saw you on Skywatch and it was like seeing an old friend.

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  7. Wow, I hope you have lots of snow that will melt...that bridge/ladder looks a little scary...

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We welcome your comments and questions. - Wayne and Margy