Saturday, September 22, 2018, is the 25th Anniversary of National Public Lands Day. The Bureau of Reclamation provides many opportunities for people to enjoy various recreational activities on its lands throughout the West.
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People stand up paddle boarding in the morning on the Deschutes River in Oregon.

The Current
Reclamation's Biweekly Newsletter

September 21, 2018

Saturday, September 22, 2018, is the 25th Anniversary of National Public Lands Day. The Bureau of Reclamation provides many opportunities for people to enjoy various recreational activities on its lands throughout the West.

Reclamation manages, with its partners 289 recreation areas, which includes 558 campgrounds and more than 1,200 miles of hiking trails. Recreation at Reclamation facilities has a total economic contribution of $3.24 billion supporting more than 23,000 jobs.

From boating and paddleboarding on Deschutes River in Oregon to ice fishing in Montana, there are many opportunities for you.

New Melones Reservoir in the Mother Lode of the California foothills offers year-round recreation activities. Camping, hiking, biking, horseback riding, boating and fishing are all available. There are even evening and junior ranger programs. Learn more on the New Melones website.

Hoover Dam is an iconic structure in the southwest on the Colorado River. It has a visitor center and offers tours. Though tours will be limited this fall and winter while the visitor center and elevators are upgraded, there will be modified tours and access to the top of the dam will be available. It is still definitely worth a visit. Learn more on the Hoover Dam website.

Canyon Ferry Reservoir is located 20 miles east of Helena, Montana, and offers numerous opportunities year-round. It has excellent fishing opportunities for rainbow trout, perch, ling, and walleye, with 33,500 surface acres of water and 96 shoreline miles. Concrete boat ramps, campgrounds, day-use areas, shelters, swimming, and three marinas are also available. It even offers some great ice fishing when conditions allow in the winter. Learn more on the Canyon Ferry website.

There are many more recreation opportunities available at Reclamation facilities throughout the West. You can learn more about these opportunities as we celebrate the 25th Anniversary of Public Lands day at https://www.usbr.gov/recreation/.

Recent News

Piute Farms Waterfall with boat in front of it.
Prolonged drought and increased water use in the southwest United States have led to shrinking reservoirs and the emergence of natural features that are affecting endangered species and river recreation. One feature, a waterfall known as the Piute Farms Waterfall, has formed in an area upstream of Lake Powell where the San Juan River serves as a border between the Navajo Nation to the south and Glen Canyon National Recreation Area to the north. Since the late 1980’s, this waterfall formed from interactions among reservoir levels and sedimentation that redirected the San Juan River over a 20-foot high sandstone ledge. Until recently, little was known about its effect on two endangered fishes. Learn More →
A desalination research unit at the Brackish Groundwater National Desalination Research Facility in Alamogordo, New Mexico.
The Bureau of Reclamation is making the 2019 funding opportunity for the Desalination and Water Purification Research Program. The funding opportunity is available for private industry, universities, water utilities and other research sponsors to submit proposals to cost-share laboratory-scale and pilot-scale projects that address DWPR goals and objectives. Learn More →
Alcova Reservoir.
The Bureau of Reclamation will be lowering the water level in Alcova Reservoir as the 2018 irrigation season draws to a close. The annual drawdown of the reservoir will begin on Monday, Oct. 1. Learn More →
Minidoka boat ramp construction project below Minidoka Dam.
The Bureau of Reclamation announced that the Minidoka boat ramp construction project, below Minidoka Dam, will begin October 2. The ramp and the surrounding area will continue to be closed to the public, including all boater and angler traffic. The area will re-open after construction is completed, which is on or about December 20. Learn More →
Navajo Dam and Reservoir
The Bureau of Reclamation has awarded a $1.49 million contract to Unico Mechanical of Benicia, California, for rehabilitation of Navajo Dam gates and valves. Navajo Dam is located on the San Juan River approximately 40 miles east of Farmington, New Mexico. Learn More →
Snow Lake valve is scheduled to be replaced October 2019
The Bureau of Reclamation and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have issued the final Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact for the proposed removal and replacement of the Upper Snow Lake water discharge control valve. The water control valve structure is located on land owned by the Service and surrounded by the Alpine Lakes Wilderness Area in Chelan County, Washington. Learn More →

Prize Competition

A link to a video discussing Reclamation's Dam Safety Program

Reclamation and its collaborators are launching a new prize competition seeking new or improved techniques for reservoir sediment removal and transport of the removed sediment in a cost-effective manner that preserves and sustains the operational objectives of the reservoir. Reservoir sedimentation has become a significant problem with the aging of water storage facilities. Sediment deposition in reservoirs limits the active life of reservoirs by reducing reservoir storage capacity for water supply or flood risk reduction. Sedimentation also impacts dam outlets, reservoir water intakes, water quality, recreation, upstream flood stage, and downstream habitat. To learn more about this prize competition and other competitions Reclamation has hosted, please visit https://www.usbr.gov/research/challenges/index.html.
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People stand up paddle boarding in the morning on the Deschutes River in Oregon.
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