Audio
Diamond Creek to Lake Mead 04m:00s
Transcript
When traveling the lower canyon, from Diamond Creek to Lake Mead,
there are a few things to consider.
This short section of the video
will go over a few additional details
for this part of the Colorado River
through Grand Canyon National Park.
If you are continuing on to Lake Mead,
please try to leave camps immediately above Diamond Creek
available for those groups taking out here.
The first thing you may notice about this lower section
is that campsites are pretty limited.
Many of the sites are heavily overgrown, or eroded, or have very high banks.
Camp sharing may be more frequent down here.
Remember that no camping is allowed
within the Columbine Falls Cove area.
You may run into shallow water and sandbars
from river mile 248 at Surprise Canyon,
all the way to the takeout,
so keeping an eye out for those
can save you a lot of hassle.
Sandbars aren't the only collision risk down here.
You may encounter speed boats traveling upstream from Lake Mead.
To reduce any potential for collision,
try to keep your boats close together.
For those of you who choose to night float
through the Lower Granite Gorge,
if your trip doesn’t have a motor,
you must have someone ready to signal oncoming boats with a flashlight.
If your trip has a motor, you must have
United States Coast Guard approved navigational lights displayed.
In 2010, the National Park Service extended the road
and built a ramp to allow river trip takeouts
above Pearce Ferry Rapid.
This allows boaters to take out above the newly formed Pearce Ferry Rapid,
and to avoid navigating through the mud flats,
lake level dependent rapids,
and lake sections between Pearce Ferry and South Cove.
The Pearce Ferry ramp area is small,
and boaters need to keep a small footprint
to allow all users access to the takeout.
Boats need to be de-rigged
in the compacted dirt area on either side of the paved ramp.
This will leave the paved ramp open for boats
that will be put directly onto trailers and not de-rigged.
In the summertime, early morning takeouts are suggested
as temperatures often exceed 110 degrees Fahrenheit.
Camping is not allowed at Pearce Ferry takeout,
so plan your trip accordingly,
and camp above the takeout the night prior to your takeout day.
The only facility at the Pearce Ferry takeout is a restroom.
2 miles from the current takeout,
at the traditional Pearce Ferry takeout,
is a dry campground and emergency phone.
If you choose to run-out to South Cove,
it's suggested that you scout Pearce Ferry Rapid.
We don't recommend night-floating this section,
and please make sure that everyone in your group is wearing a life jacket.
When you get onto Lake Mead,
it becomes readily apparent
that travel across the lake is easier
with a small outboard motor.
The lake often has a 10-15 mph wind
which makes rowing or paddling more difficult.
There's an unmaintained river runners takeout
a quarter-mile down lake of the paved boat ramp at South Cove.
The SCAT machine is often available on Pearce Ferry road,
about 10 miles away from Pearce Ferry or South Cove.
This machine will clean river toilet systems
that use 20-30 mm rocket boxes.
There's a regular dump station there
for other toilet system cleaning.
The SCAT machine is closed from November through March.
Other than the SCAT machine,
and the toilet dump station,
which are reserved for SCAT,
There are no dumping facilities for river trip garbage.
With changing lake levels,
takeout information could change in the future.
Check with the Lees Ferry ranger for more information.
These are just a few reminders
for the lower section of the canyon.
It is a bit more rugged, but has its own character,
and far less visitation than the upper section.
As is the case anywhere in Grand Canyon
its best not to make assumptions but expect surprises.
Enjoy your trip.
Description
Additional information from Grand Canyon National Park for boaters running the lower end of the Colorado River from Diamond Creek to Lake Mead. Includes Pearce Ferry boat ramp and Pearce Ferry Rapid. Updated 2011.
Duration
4 minutes
Credit
Tom Bartels
Date Created
09/09/2011
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