Lake Powell is rising a foot a day. Snowpack in the Upper Basin Colorado River is a whopping 208 percent above normal for June, according to the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Services. The U.S. Department of the Interior's Bureau of Reclamation is estimating the runoff could mean a 40-foot rise in water level for the lake this summer.
This news comes after boaters had to cruise in shallow water for the past couple years.
"It was pretty sad," said boater Rick Clarkson, adding the lake "was so low you couldn't go anywhere without danger of rocks."
Low water levels even closed the Antelope Point public boat ramp; it's now reopened.
The rapid rise is giving boaters a reason to rev up.
"It just means more adventures, more places to sneak into, more canyons to go down, more places to explore," said Clarkson's wife, Linda.
Even with water on the rise through early July, lake levels will still be nearly 30 feet below the 50-year average. In fact, boaters showed us spots on the cliffs well above the lake's surface where they say they used to be able to beach.
"The Colorado River is one of these fickle rivers, kind of boom and bust," said Paul Ostapuk, with nonprofit Friends of Lake Powell.
The group has been watching the lake's highs and lows for years. Now, it's another day, another foot higher. That means more play...and more power.
"Every foot of water that's increased in Lake Powell, that puts a little more head on the power generators [at the Glenn Canyon Dam]," said Ostapuk.
The water level in the 150-mile long lake is expected to peak at 3,616 feet.
