RESERVOIRS — The level of Lake Roosevelt was 1248.90 at 9 a.m. today as the lake continues to fill. The Bureau of Reclamation predicts the levels will continue to rise up to 1 foot a day over the next week.

Through the Memorial Day weekend the level of the lake is anticipated to be in the 1250-1253 range.

Daily lake level forecast by phone: (800) 824-4916.

Better yet, check out this new NOAA site with Roosevelt levels and a list of boat launching elevations on the same page.

RESERVOIRS — The level of Lake Roosevelt was 1243.30 at 10 a.m. today as it continues to rise slowly.

“The prediction calls for the level of the lake to be in the 1245-1246 range for this weekend,” the Bureau of Reclamation says. “Next week the level of the lake is predicted to rise less than 1 foot per day resulting in the lakel level being in the 1250-1252 range over Memorial Day weekend.”

Daily lake level forecast by phone: (800) 824-4916.

Better yet, check out this new NOAA site with Roosevelt levels and a list of boat launching elevations on the same page.

BOATING — A boating safety class that satisfies Washington’s driver certification requirements will be offered at the Northtown Mall 6 p.m.-8 p.m. Monday through Thursday next week (May 21-24) in honor of National Safe Boating Week.

The eight-hour course will be taught by the Spokane Sail and Power Squadron.

• Preregister: 328-6165.

Any Washington resident age 40 or younger must have a Washington boater safety certificate to operate a vessel in state waters. Next year the requirement will extend to age 50.

BOATING —The Bureau of Land Management’s Blackwell Island boat launch and recreation area will open on May 23 in one of the annual harbingers of th Lake Coeur d’Alene boating season.  

The popular site is just south of Coeur d’Alene along Highway 95.  

Season passes cost $40.  The annual pass covers both Blackwell Island recreation site and Mineral Ridge boat launch.   Daily rates at Blackwell Island are $6 per day.

BLM staff will be on-site during the Memorial Day weekend to sell season passes.  Cash or check is required for on-site purchases; credit card purchases may be made at the BLM’s Coeur d’Alene District office during business hours at 3815 Schreiber Way in Coeur d’Alene. 

Blackwell Island recreation site offers picnic facilities, including a large pavilion that is available on a rental basis; wildlife viewing along the boardwalk trail; walking paths and four boat launch lanes.

Info: 208-769-5000.

RESERVOIRS — After a fairly rapid rise in early May, the level of Lake Roosevelt was 1238 at 8 a.m. today and  predicted to stay at fairly stable levels for a while.

“Inflows have decreased over the last week, but are expected to increase slightly in the coming week,” the Bureau of Reclamation says. “At this time, the prediction is that the lake level will remain fairly stable over the weekend and rise slightly next week. At this time we anticipate a daily rise from 0-1/2 foot (6 inches). If the weather warms or there is increased precipitation, then there may be an increase in the daily rise of lake levels.

Daily lake level forecast by phone: (800) 824-4916.

Better yet, check out this new NOAA site with Roosevelt levels and a list of boat launching elevations on the same page.

RESERVOIRS — The spring runoff continues to allow operators to raise the water level of Lake Roosevelt.

 Over the next week, the level is predicted to rise 0.2  to 1 foot a day, the Bureau of Reclamation says.

 Spill through the outlet tubes on the face of the dam is occurring intermittently to control the rate of rise in Lake Roosevelt. “There is a large quantity of snowpack to the north of Lake Roosevelt and we want to ensure we have enough room in the lake for what is to come,” BuRec said in a release.

Daily lake level forecast by phone: (800) 824-4916.

Better yet, check out this new NOAA site with Roosevelt levels and a list of boat launching elevations on the same page.

PADDLING — Today's S-R news story with details about the Gonzaga University student who died on an April 1 kayaking trip at Rock Lake was balanced by two men willing to step forward and talk about safety issues involved with cold-weather/water paddling.

No one involved with the accident would speak on the record for one reason or another, but Jerry Cessaratto and Dennis Andrew of the Spokane Canoe & Kayak Club allowed me to interview them on the protocols for a group paddling trip in cold conditions.

Take the 10 minutes required to view the video on cold-water immersion (above), Andrew suggests.

My editor had to shorten the newspaper story to fit the layout puzzle in the paper. In doing so, it may have left the edge that Andrew was criticizing the city parks trip leaders. While many people will do so, Andrew was not criticizing, he was analyzing and offering the perspective of what he teaches in the annual three-session sea-kayaking class he coordinates in late June.

Click “continue reading” below for the unedited ending my story published today. Keep in mind that even this was boiled down from two 15-minute interviews and does not include their comments on the need for outdoor groups to:

• Check weather reports.
• Assess the situation in the field
• Assess the gear and experience of everyone on the trip.
• Factor in remoteness and conditions.
• Have a contingency plan.
• Stay together
• Have a toolbox of options for emergency and rescue.

RESERVOIRS — As the water level in Lake Roosevelt continues to rise behind Grand Coulee Dam, more boat ramps are becoming viable again and anglers are becoming more versatile.

A nifty new NOAA hydrograph web page helps boaters with constantly updated information on lake levels, projected elevation changes and boat ramp launching levels.  It also shows when the lake is too low for running the Gifford and Keller Ferries.

“I recently added low-water impacts to the web page with the short term Lake Roosevelt forecast to help prevent more recreationists from hauling their boats out only to find their ramp high and dry,” said Katherine Rowden, the National Weather Service hydrologist who helped worked up the site. 

“The 'Low Flow' line on the hydrograph is when the Gifford Ferry stops running (first significant impact), but if you scroll down below the map, I've also listed all the boat ramps (per elevations on the Park Service's website) so folks can match up current and forecasted levels if they have a certain spot they like to launch from.

“The forecast is updated daily and incorporates planned reservoir operations.”

RESERVOIRS — The level of Lake Roosevelt was 1231 feet this morning.

The spring runoff has begun and the level of Lake Roosevelt has begun rising. Over the next week, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation predicts the level will rise 1-2 feet per day.

See the Roosevelt current lake level chart.

Check here for the minimum boat launch elevations to determine which are out of water.

PUBLIC LANDS – Discounts on fees for popular North Idaho Bureau of Land Management recreation sites are available through May 15.

 The first fee increase since 2005 will start May 16 at areas around Lake Coeur d’Alene to help maintain the facilities.

 Daily rates will increase at Blackwell Island Recreation Area and the Mineral Ridge Launch area from $4 to $6 per day.   Tent camping at Mica Bay Boater Park, Killarney Lake Recreation Site, Huckleberry Campground and Windy Bay Boater Park will be $10 per night, a $2 increase.  

Trailer camping fees at  Huckleberry Campground along the St. Joe River will rise to $18 per night. 

Season passes for Blackwell Island and Mineral Ridge boat launches cost $30 at BLM’s office in Coeur d’Alene, but the fee will increase to $40 on May 16.  

Most recreation sites are open with the exception of the Blackwell Island Recreation Site.  Because opening the site depends on water levels, the tentative date is set for May 23.  

RESERVOIRS — From all indications, the Lake Roosevelt drawdown will continue into May with a possibility of lake elevations going to 1220 feet or lower. That's grim for anglers who will see another year of fish pouring over the dam and out of the reservoir.  Full pool is 1290 feet above sea level.

Expanses of bare shoreline will be showing in upcoming weeks. 

As lake level goes down, boat launch ramps will begin to close with all ramps being closed if the elevation goes below 1222 feet. 

In order to prevent archaeological and resource damage, driving on the drawdown is not allowed, Lake Roosvelt National Recreation Area officials say.

RESERVOIRS — The level of Lake Roosevelt was 1232.5 feet at noon today and will continue declining about 1.5 feet a day through the rest of the month to reach the flood control elevation of 1220.2. 

The plan could change, since there's still an above-average snowpack remaining in the upper Columbia River drainages.

 Inflows into Lake Roosevelt are expected to increase this week.

See the Roosevelt current lake level chart.

Spring Canyon and Seven Bays will be the ony sure bets for boat launching by Sunday.

Check here for the minimum boat launch elevations to determine which are out of water.

RESERVOIRS — The level of Lake Roosevelt was 1241.90 this moring and continuing to drop about 1.5 feet a day. That rate forecast to continue at least through the rest of the month to reach the flood control elevation of 1220.2.

The plan could change, since there's still an above-average snowpack remaining in the upper Columbia River drainages.

Next week the inflows into Lake Roosevelt are expected to increase.

See the Roosevelt current lake level chart.

Check here for the minimum boat launch elevations to determine which are out of water.

  

INVASIVE SPECIES — A dive team to assess an outbreak of invasive asian clams in the Hope area of Lake Pend Oreille is being organized for Monday by the Idaho Department of Agriculture and Bonner County.

The clams were detected recently during the pre-runoff lake drawdown.

• Meanwhile, Idaho boat inspection stations already have intercepted 11 boats bringing invasive species into the state.

This is serious business. Somebody let down their guard and brought these clams into the lake, probably by not cleaning their boat after using it outside the area.

The clams multiply fast, suck in algae and excrete high-nutrient pellets that can foul water and turn those famous clear-water bays green.

Apparently we need to crank up the penalties to thousands of dollars and JAIL TIME to get the message out.

Idaho Department of Agriculture’s boat inspection stations, open since March 1, already have caught 11 boats entering Idaho carrying invasive mussels into Idaho.

The department has set up 15 inspection stations across the state as a line of defense against the invasion of zebra or quagga mussels.

If you think it's an inconvenience, you're not educated on the subject.

NATIONAL PARKS — Boaters and anglers can save money buy buying their season boat launch permit for Lake Roosevelt before the end of April.

A launch permit is required at all designated National Park Service-managed ramps regardless of the type of vessel.

Without a season permit, boaters pay on site a $6 fee for a permit valid for seven days.

2011 season launch permits cost $30 if purchased by April 30. After that, the cost increases to $40.

Federal Golden Age, Golden Access and Interagency Senior or Access Pass cardholders, fees get 50 percent off.

Read on for details on where to purchase the boat launch permits.

RESERVOIRS — The level of Lake Roosevelt was about 1244 feet this morning and the Bureau of Reclamation says it will continue dropping at the rate of 1.3 - 1.5 foot per day through the rest of April.

The flood control elevation for April 30 is 1220.2. 

This is not a good prescription for the comeback of trout and kokanee populations that were flushed out of the Lake Roosevelt system by deep drawdowns lat year. We may be looking at another bad year for fish.

Precipitation increased dramatically during March. The inflow forecast for Lake Roosevelt is 108% of average and the Dalles forecast is 111% of average.

For a daily forecast call (800) 824-4916. This forecast is updated at 3 p.m. each day.

See the Roosevelt current lake level chart.

Check here for the minimum boat launch elevations to determine which are out of water.

COLUMBIA RIVER — The level of Lake Roosevelt was 1259.10 this morning, as it continues to drop about a foot a day, a trend likely to continue for the next week at least.

“With an increase in precipitation, the water supply forecast is increasing. As a result, the lake level is predicted to be approximately 1257 by March 31,” the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation reports today, noting that Lake Roosevelt is now being operated for flood control.

Based on the current forecast it is now estimated that the flood control elevation for Lake Roosevelt at the end of April will be in the 1220-1225 range.

The official forecast will be available during the week of April 9 and the actual flood control elevation for the end of April will be set.

Click here for more detail concerning the forecast for the Columbia River System.

 For a daily forecast call (800) 824-4916. This forecast is updated at 3 p.m. each day.
  

RESERVOIRS — The level of Lake Roosevelt was 1265.10 at 11 a.m.

The reservoir's elevation is expected to continue to decline over the next week. With an increase in precipitation, the water supply forecast appears to be increasing. As a result, the lake level is predicted to be approximately 1258 by March 31.

Lake Roosevelt is now being operated for flood control and is continuing to meet power demand, Hanford Reach flows and tailwater flows for chum below Bonneville Dam.

The March Water Forecast has the flood control elevations for Lake Roosevelt as follows:

• March 31 – 1268.4 feet
• April 15 – 1252.4 feet
• April 30 – 1237.0 feet

For a forecast updated daily at 3 p.m., call (800) 824-4916.
  

RESERVOIRS — The elevation of Lake Roosevelt is slowly going down into the 1268-1264 feet range. Lake Roosevelt is now being operated for flood control and is continuing to meet power demand, Hanford Reach flows and tailwater flows for chum below Bonneville Dam.

The March Water Forecast has been released by the Bureau of Reclamation. Flood control elevations for Lake Roosevelt are as follows:

• March 31 – 1268.4 feet
• April 15 - 1252.4 feet
• April 30 – 1237.0 feet

For a daily forecast call 800-824-4916. This forecast is updated at 3 p.m. each day.
  

BOATING — Wet Dream is out, Dream Weaver is in.  Popular names for boats are changing with the times, according to the 22nd annual survey of the most popular boat names by Boat Owners Association of the United States.

“A boat name reflects the life and loves of the owner,” says Occoless Trotter of the BoatUS Boat Graphics department in Alexandria, Virginia, which helps boaters design their own boat names. “But, it’s hard to sum it all up with just a few words.”

The boat owners group has been tallying the Top Ten Boat Names List for more than two decades.

This year's list of Top Ten Boat Names follows:

1. Seas the Day
2. Nauti Buoy
3. Aquaholic
4. Dream Weaver
5. Pegasus
6. Serenity Now
7. Second Wind
8. Liquid Asset
9. Miss Behavin'
10. Blew ByYou