Keeping Current

New River Guide Features
Celebrating 40 years -- Since 1969
CAMPSITES added to Grand Canyon Guide
     Campsites have been added to the 2009 printing of the Grand Canyon River Guide. These are based on an inventory list compiled by the National Park Service as of March 2008. Campsites on the Guide are marked by size.
     The National Park Service and the Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center are in the process of creating a River Campsite Atlas as part of their ongoing effort to monitor changes to camps and protect sensitive park resources including the old high water zone.
 
NEW RIVER MILES added
     New more accurate river miles have been added to the 2008 printing of the Grand Canyon River Guide. These miles are based on 2002 U.S. Geological Survey, Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center (GCMRC), and reflect distances measured along the river centerline.
     The original “classic” river miles from the 1924 USGS survey are still shown in the Grand Canyon River Guide since many of the place names and earlier research is based on these.

SHADED RELIEF now part of all Guides
     Colorful, detailed shaded relief was added to the Grand Canyon River Guide and Canyonlands River Guide in January of 2008. The Desolation River Guide and Dinosaur River Guide followed in June of 2008.
     The shaded relief is combined with contour lines for elevation reference. Areas of relief above the river corridor have been subdued to preserve the design elements of the original River Guides.

GPS WAYPOINTS Coming Soon
     We are currently working on a set waypoints for the Grand Canyon River Guide. These will be avaliable soon and can be downloaded from this website. The Waypoints will include river miles and campsites.
     Waypoints for Canyonlands, Dinosaur and Desolation River Guides will follow.

Oil and Gas Drilling Leases on
Public Lands in Utah Voided
February 2009

    

       Oil and gas leases that would have allowed drilling on some 130,000 acres near Nine Mile Canyon, Arches National Park and Dinosaur National Monument were canceled by new Interior Secretary Ken Salazar in early February 2009. The move reversed exploration plans proposed for 77 lease parcels on federal land in Utah containing some of the nation’s most extraordinary archeological treasures, including more than 10,000 rock images in Nine Mile Canyon alone.
       A coalition of conservation and preservation organizations, notably the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, the Wilderness Society, and Earthjustice, had previously filed a lawsuit to prevent the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) from issuing the leases. A restraining order was granted to that effect on January 17, 2009.
     The February cancellation was an early step in the reshaping of government regulations for drilling, mining and other activities to be undertaken by the new Obama administration and congressional Democrats.  
           

Run Off Conditions and Projections
Bureau of Reclamation - March 2009

     Snowpack conditions in the Upper Colorado River Basin have continued at or near average through the month of February and have entered March at 104% of average.  One year ago, on March 1, 2008, the snowpack measured 126% of average so water year 2009 is shaping up to be somewhat drier than water year 2008.  By this time of year the snowpack development season is about 80% complete and by the first week of April the snowpack typically peaks for the season.