Sunday, August 24, 2008
NO BATHTUB RING?
We went to Lake Powell during a grand trip through the National Parks some years ago. Maybe 1993.
We rented a boat. You could travel all over the Lake at that time. We got maps and learned the general layout and took off.
We had a great time. We saw the Rainbow Bridge. Took our time wandering in the small canyons.
But at some point we realized that there was something wrong. There were canyons that didn't show on the maps and the buoys didn't seem to line up with the diagrams.
What had happened was the Lake had dried up. Lost its countours. It was as though we were in a totally different Lake than was on the map.
We finally figured out what was wrong and did a triangulation with the Navajo Power Plant (lots of smoke polluting the area, it has now been closed) and some other landmark. We got out.
It was a great adventure that I wouldn't want to repeat.
Now, it seems, the water is coming back and covering all those extra inlets and particularly covering the bathtub ring—mineral deposits left by the water as its level decreased.
And the maps will be good again.
Amid Dry Times in the West, a Lake Raises Spirits
