Schoolhouse Boat Ramp Open: Roosevelt Lake Makes History

ROOSEVELT - ROOSEVELT LAKE IS MAKING HISTORY on a daily basis as the lake level continues to rise to new all-time highs during this period of spring run-off. The dam was raised 70 feet in 1995. The state has been in a drought since then. The latest prognosis from Salt River Project (SRP) is that Roosevelt will not only fill to the top of what SRP calls the "conservation pool" of around 19,000 surface acres , it will likely surpass that level by 8 to 10 feet. As a little background, the total lake capacity if allowed to reach the spillway is about 21,493 surface acres. The lake level above the conservation pool is there to absorb any flooding event. Once the "conservation pool" is exceeded, SRP has a certain grace period of time to bring the water level back to the conservation pool. Roosevelt is reaching new heights daily. It will likely be drawn down below the new-lake level (below the top of the old dam) by the end of summer. How much depends on water use, heat and other such factors. Even then, water will still be inundating vast areas of lush vegetation that has grown up in the lakebed during the severe drought years. Then next spring, it stands a good chance of entering into the new lakebed level again if there is just normal spring run-off during 2006. In other words, the productivity level of this lake is going to zoom to the top of the charts (or maybe off them). This is probably the beginning of the "good old days." Be sure to plan some trips to Rosey to get to know this new lake. The future is bright. For the first time ever the Schoolhouse boat ramp at Roosevelt Lake is open and available for use. As of March 11, Roosevelt Lake was 87 percent full with a water depth of 30 feet at the end of the Schoolhouse ramp. The ramp is constructed of concrete surfacing and is suitable for launching boats with any type of tow vehicle. As the lake level continues to rise it is expected that the ramp will be available for use throughout the summer. Between October, 2002 and March 1, the lake level at Roosevelt rose 102 feet vertically and from 9 percent to 82 percent of water storage capacity. The majority of the runoff from the Salt River watershed normally occurs in March and April, so things look very positive right now for boaters wanting to recreate at the lake this spring and summer. The Forest Service expects the lake to fill to 100% capacity by May. Based on snowpack levels in the mountains, streamflow levels and historical records, Forest Service officials are confident that the lake will reach the new conservation pool elevation of 2,151 feet. "This means that many of the developed camp sites at Cholla, Windy Hill and Schoolhouse Recreation Sites will be immediately adjacent to the shoreline," said Quentin Johnson, a recreation specialist at Roosevelt Lake. "We know that the public enjoys camping as close to the water as possible, so these campgrounds were designed with this concept in mind." For more information, contact the Tonto Basin Ranger District at (928) 467-3200 or visit the Tonto web site, www.fs.fed.us/r3/tonto.