ShareTrails | Action Alert: Addressing Low Water Recreation in Lake Mead

The National Park Service which manages Lake Mead has released its Sustainable Low Water Access Plan. We want the NPS to hear from recreation users and let them know the importance that recreation provides on Lake Mead, not just for entertainment but for natural and cultural resources as well as economic benefits. NPS needs to hear that providing continued access for motorized users such as boat ramps and other infrastructure is crucial and nonnegotiable. The NPS shouldn’t use water levels as a reason to ignore current infrastructure, because water levels will fluctuate year to year. It is the Park’s responsibility to adapt to water levels and provide the resources needed for the public to enjoy Lake Mead.

Share your feedback with the National Park Service before December 23, 2022.

Full Briefing

NPS is going to address recreational concerns as water levels have dropped with the following questions:

Topic Questions:1. Given the current water levels and future projections, what experiences in Lake Mead National Recreation Area are most important to you? What kind of experiences do you want future visitors to have when they come to the park? 2. Given your response to Question #1 regarding important experiences for you and future visitors, what barriers might get in the way of enjoying or visiting Lake Mead National Recreation Area? What barriers might prevent you from achieving your desired experiences? 3. Please provide input on the preliminary management concepts. What do you recommend the planning team consider, to address barriers and/or key issues, given the rapid decline in water levels? 4. What actions is the park currently taking to manage these issues that you’d like to see continue? 5. Other thoughts you’d like to share with the project team? 

According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, outdoor recreation had a record breaking year in 2021. Outdoor recreation now accounts for $821 billion in economic activity. For reference, the oil and gas industry is $812 billion. Outdoor recreation is popular. It is an economic juggernaut. Yet, public land agencies act as if this nearly $1 trillion dollar industry is optional or an afterthought. Instead of building new roads, trails, campgrounds, and infrastructure to accommodate the new growth in outdoor recreation, land managers are relentlessly closing public lands for the public to use.

Motorized forms of recreation account for a shocking $78 billion in economic value. NPS needs to be accommodating outdoor recreation users, especially motorized users.

The NPS released their proposal and Environmental Assessment that you can read to learn more.

There will also be public meetings to address this proposal:

Dec 6, 20225:00 PMMSTMeadview Civic Association Building
247 E. Meadview Blvd
Meadview, Arizona 86444

Dec 7, 202212:00 PMPDTBureau of Reclamation Building
100 Date Street
Building 100
Boulder City, Nevada 89005

Dec 8, 20225:00 PMMSTCity of Kingman Government Complex, Powerhouse Conference Room
120 W. Andy Devine Ave
Kingman, Arizona 86401

Dec 14, 20224:00 PMPSTVirtual
https://tinyurl.com/LAKE-Dec-Public-Meeting