2012 Slip Contracts
It is a new year. And with a new year comes the need for new slip contracts. ALL slip contracts and ALL credit card autopay forms expired December 31st. WE MUST HAVE NEW CONTRACTS each year. If you do not have your contract or autopay form (optional) in please get it in ASAP. Any vessel in a slip by January 31 without a slip contract WILL be considered ABANDONED and that slip will be made available for rent.
You can find a blank slip contract by going to The Marina tab on the menu above. Follow the instructions for filling out your contract and sending back to the marina office.
Past Due Slip Rent Accounts
Unfortunately things are tight in State Parks. This has forced us to be somewhat more aggressive with slip accounts that are past due. If you have a balance of $500.00 or more we will not be able to renew your Slip Rent Package until your balance is brought current.. We will have to ask all accounts be caught up by January 31st. If not, we will need to have your boats removed from the marina by that date. I'm sorry for the inconvenience but the dictate comes from on high. Please remember that we do not send out monthly bills. If you have a question regarding your account please email the
harbormaster@gslmarina.com or call the marina office at 801-250-1898
Will the Slip Rates Increase This Year?
It is a possibility but very unlikely. I will keep you posted.
Lake Level Update
We had a record lake rise last year. We topped off at 4198.5 early July giving us a record net increase of 4.9' from the November 2010 low of 4193.6'. Originally I forecasted a low this fall of 4196.9 but the storm at the beginning of October was HUGE! That coupled with the fact that all rivers are still flowing in to the lake at above normal levels means we may be done dropping for the year. In fact, we may be coming back up.
What a great year! It's all about those sunspots! A complete water year report can be viewed by highlighting the Resource tab on the main menu of this site and then clicking on weather/water. Looke for the link on the left hand side that says Current Water Watch Report. A complete summary of the water just ended can be viewed by clicking on '10='11 GSL Water Report.
Deep Channel and Reef Channel paths
We have been sounding the REEF CHANNEL on a regular basis. The shallowest spot we can find is 6.9' deep. And with the lake already creeping back up the depth should only increase. On flat water days all vessels should be able to use the Reef Channel. On days with waves I recommend anyone drawing over 5' use the Deep Channel buoys.
Because the water did not drop as much as originally forecasted I will not be setting any more of the Deep Channel buoys. There should be enough out now to safely guide you through that channel if you need to use it.
If our 2012 water level forecasts hold true, we will pull the DEEP CHANNEL buoys this spring and may not reset them depending on the fall lake level.
Winter Weather Pattern
Winter weather patterns are typically FRONTAL patterns. But, so far, this winter has been a crazy one across the nation. We have had a high pressure parked over the top of Utah forcing storms far north or far south leaving the western US high and dry. We saw the worst December ever as far as moisture. But this is about to change. All indications point to us doing a flip-flop about mid January and going into a wetter-than-normal pattern and back to a typical Frontal pattern for the storms themselves.
Monsoonal patterns usually bring nice northerly winds about mid day that may be followed by afternoon thunderstorms. Thunderstorms can bring strong gusty winds with microbursts, lightning, thunder and heavy rain. But they are short lived.
Frontal Patterns, though are characterized by a Pacific front approaching the Great Salt Lake. Fronts are preceeded by strong Pre-Frontal winds. The weather will look nice but winds will begin building from the south. As the front gets closer to Utah the winds will increase. The strongest winds will be just before the front crosses overhead.
Pre-Frontal southerly winds can last for two to three days depending on how fast the front is moving. Two things typically happen in Pre-Frontal winds. If the winds come from a more southwesterly direction the winds will be strong but steady. They will tend to be less damaging to property in the marina. But if the winds are from due south hold on! It is going to get interesting. Winds at the marina will be zero to 40mph with some Tooele Twisters mixed in. As the front gets closer the gust will become stronger. If it is a tightly packed front we could easily see gusts in the 80mph to 90mph range. On some frontal storms gusts can even exceed 100mph. Many of us remember the January 2005 storm where the top gust reached 214mph and did substantial damage to the marina.
The strongest southerly gusts will be just as the front passes over. As it passes over the Great Salt Lake the wind will abruptly switch to the north. Temperatures will drop and, if it is a wet front, it will either rain or snow. Northerly winds will be the strongest at this time and will drop in strenght frairly quickly as the front passes to the to the east. Waves at this time can reach heights of eight to ten feet. And the lake will rise on the south half. We can loose as much as a foot in depth of water during pre-frontal conditions and rise as much as three feet in the post frontal conditions.
Winds further up the lake will be much more steady. But winds can still see sustained strenghts of 70mph near Hat Island during tightly packed fronts.
Wall Clouds are another characteristic of a tightly packed front. Wall Clouds will line up along the frontal line. As the wall cloud approaches you it looks like Hell is swallowing up everything in its path. Heavy lightning, very strong and dangerous winds, along with hail can be packed in a Wall Cloud. They can also spawn tornadoes. The only good thing about a Wall Cloud is that it passes over very quickly and sunny but cold weather will be right behind it.
Duck Hunting and Brine Shrimp Season.
Duck Hunting and Brine Shrimp Season are now closed
Our New Budget and COMPLEXING
Over the last four years, with the economic situation and the Utah State Legislature taking a hard look at State Parks operations, Utah State Parks has taken some very serious budget cuts and has had to look ard at consolidating operations. One of the areas that has been studied for consolidation was Great Salt Lake State Marina and Antelope Island State Park. Well this is no longer being studied but actually being implemented.
Great Salt Lake State Marina and Antelope Island State Park will combine into one PARK COMPLEX. In general, what this means is that we would consolidate management and employees under one park management. Although the two parks would operate under one COMPLEX we will function as separate entities.
Antelope Island's budget has been cut substantially in the last four years. They lost one full-time maintenance position and they lost three law enforcement positions. This proved to be difficult for them. They went from four full-time LE officers to one full-time LE officer. Antelope Island State Park was in desperate need of Law Enforcement Help.
Great Salt Lake State Marina's budget, over the last four years, has been slashed around $100,00 and has lost 1 1/2 positions. When Larry Modena died his Grounds Supervisor position was eliminated and his duties were primarily delegated to Dave in addition to Dave's duties as Harbor Master. Dave was assisted by a seasonal (part time) maintenance employee. But that position was also eliminated in the new budget leaving the Great Salt Lake Marina in desperate need of maintenance help.
Hence the thought of COMPLEXING operations of the two parks. Although Great Salt Lake State Marina needs a law enforcement presence in order to meet its contracted responsibilities, we do not have a lot of law enforcement needs compared to other parks. This is due to the fact that we have a great communitity park rather than a transient park like most parks (transient meaning different people visiting each day rather than the same people). We can afford to share law enforcement with Antelope Island. Antelope Island has two full time maintenance positions along with seasonal maintenance employees. They can afford to share maintenance with us. In addition we are working on securing the funding between the two parks to hire another seasonal maintenance person that would work 10 hours a week year round at the Great Salt Lake Marina. This would potentially put us back to 20 hours a week of maintenance help.
You, as a slip renter, will likely see little change and may actually realize benefits. Bob will work primarily at Antelope Island as a ranger but will still work part time here at the marina. Kent and Dave will still be working full time at the marina. The faces you are used to will still be here. The day-to-day managment and operations of Great Salt Lake Marina will still remain with Kent and Dave. Our budget will stay with us. Although Jeremy Shaw will now be the manager of the COMPLEX he intendes to leave the Great Salt Lake Marina to run itself to better serve its clientele. After all, he still has a large park to run himself. But Jeremy will have involvement and oversight of the Great Salt Lake Marina.
And you will see an increase on maintenance support at the marina. Many of those projects we had to put on the back burner because of staffing and money problems will now become priorities again. We can start focusing more heavily on preventative maintenance rather than band aids and splints. We can move ahead with park improvement projects once again.
Another benefit you will see is greater access; Greater access to Antelope Island Marina, favorite anchorages and hiking trails. Over the last year we have negotiated a deal with Antelope Island management to open up the long closed beaches on the west side of the Island. At present you can go to shore and walk along the beaches up to the high water line. Well that will open up even more. We are working on designated anchorages where you can access trail systems and hike greater portions of the island including the peaks. These designated anchrages may even include primitive camping areas. And it will mean even greater reciprocity for the marina up there. You can simply call me and arrange a slip at Antelope for the day, week or even a month or more. In essence, we will be working to open up greater areas of the lake and its islands for your recreation and enjoyment.
This is what the structure of the new COMPLEX will look like:
- Jeremy Shaw, the manager of Antelope Island, will become the manager of the COMPLEX. His office will be based at Antelope Island.
- John Sullivan, the Assistant Manager of Antelope Island, will become Assistant Manager of the Complex. His office will be based at Antelope Island
- Kent Cummings, the Assistant Manager of Great Salt Lake Marina, will remain the Assistant Manager of the marina and will be based at Great Salt Lake Marina
- Dave Shearer, the Harbor Master of Great Salt Lake State Marina, will now become the Harbor Master of both Great Salt Lake Marina AND Antelope Island Marina. He will also be the lead for on-the-water search & rescue for the whole lake. His main office will still be at the Great Salt Lake Marina.
- Bob Rosell will become a Park Ranger and work primarily at Antelope Island State Park but will continue to work part time at Great Salt Lake. He will be based out at Antelope Island and will work with Dave in the day-to-day affairs of the Antelope marina along with duties as a Law Enforcement Ranger.
- One of Antelope Island's maintenance employees will work at least one day a week throughout the year at Great Salt Lake State Marina.
- The dedicated Great Salt Lake Marina Search & Rescue team will remain Dave, Kent and Bob.
- Antelope Island State Park will remain Antelope Island State Park within the complex.
- Great Salt Lake State Marina will remain Great Salt Lake State Marina within the complex.
Jeremy Shaw (Complex Manager) and John Sullivan (Assistant Manager of the Complex) will be coming down to the Great Salt Lake Marina on Saturday, January 28th to make themselves available to answer any questions you may have and to visit with you. This is the same date as the Yacht Clup's Polar Bear Cup Regatta. It is also the date that the Harbor Master holds his annual Clam Chowder feast at Trestle Dock (the Harbor Master's home at the marina). The Clam Chowder feast will begin around 1pm. All marina patrons are invited to attend. This is where Jeremy and John will be that date.
In the meantime, if you have any quesitons or concerns, please feel free to email harbormaster@gslmarina.com and we will do our best to answer them.
Our New Building - Update
The new building is complete now and the marina offices have been moved over to the new building. Come by and visit.
Anchorages
I have added several anchorages to this website. If you haven't checked them out yet please highlight the Resource tab of the main menu. Then click on the Nav tab. On the left hand side of that page you will see the anchorages listed. Each week you should see new anchorages added so check back often.
I have enjoyed revisiting these anchorages that I used to visit in the higher water years. And I have had fun writing about them. With the water up this year please take the opportunity to see some of the sites that Great Salt Lake has to offer.
If there is an anchorage you haven't seen yet but would like me to include, just email me at harbormaster@gslmarina.com
We have tried to leave the Pump-A-Head working during the last two winters. This has not worked. Both winters the plumbing has blown apart after freezing. Not enough salt water is pumped through the system after each use. So we will not be able to leave it on during the winter anymore.
The Pump-A-Head is down right now. We will not be able to repair it until spring. Please plan accordingly.
Check out the new photo album by clicking on the "New and Improved Photo Album" on the home page of this website. People have been putting on some great pictures
We are now on winter hours. The front gate opens at 6am and closes at 5pm. If you have visitors coming to see you after hours, DO NOT GIVE THEM THE GATE CODE! I do not want to repreat the potential breach of security we suffered this spring. It was very expensive to resecure the park. And our budget just cant afford that kind of hit (see above). If you have guests coming to visit, please meet them at the front gate and let them in.