Lees Ferry and Lake Powell opens this Saturday

Lees Ferry and Lake Powell, prime fishing destinations in northern Arizona and southern Utah, will reportedly be open beginning Saturday, Oct. 12, as part of a larger agreement between Utah and the National Park Service to reopen Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.

The recreation area will open at noon on Saturday, according to the Lake Powell Chronicle. In the article, Denise Shultz of the National Park Service said that the Colorado River will be open from the Glen Canyon Dam to Lees Ferry, but not from Lees Ferry to the Grand Canyon. However, in light of Arizona Governor Jan Brewer's successful negotiation with federal officials today to open Grand Canyon National Park, the closure from Lees Ferry to Grand Canyon could change.

Last week, the Arizona Game and Fish Commission voted to offer resources to the federal government to keep access open at Lees Ferry and certain other key fishing, hunting and boating access points on federal lands in Arizona. As of this time, the department has not received a response to its letters to the directors of the National Park Service, USDA Forest Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.