Echo State Park to close to boats in the coming weeks

Echo State Park. Photo: Utah State Parks

SUMMIT COUNTY, Utah. — The water level at Echo Reservoir is dropping quickly. According to Eric Bradshaw, Echo State Park Manager for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, the water is falling roughly 3% a week in the month of July. It currently stands at approximately 30% of the full pool.

While it’s normal for the water level to get this low, it’s happening earlier compared to last year. The park ran out of ramp in 202o in mid-August.

The official policy for boaters is “launch at your own risk.”

While Bradshaw has seen some wake boats launch successfully, he recommended only smaller vessels come to the park, like fishing boats and wave runners. “It’s a paddleboarder’s dream,” he said.

The park is set to close in a matter of weeks for construction purposes. The closure will likely last until the end of the year, with the goal of opening back up for the 2022 season. “This closure will impact the day-use area; so there will be no access to the launch ramp, dock, or any of the older existing facilities in that area,” Bradshaw said. “The new Dry Hollow campground will remain open, and there will also be some designated areas where the public can access the water for day-use as well.”

In 2017, the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) contracted Utah State Parks to manage the recreational activities on the water body. It is the newest park in the state. The dam and reservoir were constructed during the Great Depression in the 1930s for agricultural irrigation.

The area is experiencing other water issues as well. According to KSL, Echo Mutual Water Company is working on a “limited supply” basis. They’re urging local residents to conserve water in any way possible. Kory Staples of Echo Mutual told KSL they’re asking other towns to send shipments of water via fire trucks.

The nearby town of Henefer is assisting with what they can. “We’re seeing what we can work out and seeing what they can let us have,” Staples said. “Even a load or two a day, if they can do that is probably going to help maintain it, a little bit, for us.”

The company is also in talks with the Utah Division of Water Resources for additional assistance in filling storage tanks.