October 1st begins the 2009 Water Year. This year, with the water in the marina being so critical, I will begin tracking several variables and reporting on these on a regular basis called "Great Salt Lake Water Watch". Numbers we will be watching will be:

ALL slip rental contracts expire December 31st, 2008 at midnight. This may seem a little early to talk about the renewal process but we will be auditing all slip rental accounts starting next week. Contracts and statements will be sent out the first week of November. Any slip renter with an excessive outstanding balance will not receive a renewal contract. If you have an outstanding balance, please work on getting it caught up before November 1st so you will receive a renewal package. All contracts for the 2009 season must be in by January 5th or it will be assumed you plan to vacate your slip. With the lake as low as it is there is great competition for prime slips. Don't loose yours.

Parking stickers will also change color in 2009 along with gate keys and electronic gate codes. Only people with current 2009 slip contracts will receive the new passes, keys and codes. If you haven't noticed by now, we are actively checking for passes and issuing compliance notices.

User group clubs such as Great Salt Lake Rowing, Utah Crew and the Hawaiian Cultural Center, your club designees will receive 2009 packages upon completion of any agreements or terms in your SUP or MOU. You will then receive your parking passes and codes from your club designees. If you are the club designee, please contact me by phone or email in the next few weeks so we may schedule a meeting.

Eric Johnson, our new seasonal employee, has done a great job eradicating the Orb Weaver spider this summer. It was the best we have ever seen it here. We learned a lot this season trying to cut down on the numbers of these spiders. The first thing we learned is that there is not much we can do until they start to mature and become large enough that they are no longer airborne. Once this happens, active spraying keeps them down quite well.

The eradication of this spider does bring a serious problem though. Orb Weavers, although quite ugly and prolific, are harmless and non-aggressive to humans. Yet they are quite aggressive towards other spider species. When you eliminate the Orb Weaver, you allow other species of spiders to start moving in and taking hold. One of the common species of spiders along the Great Salt Lake shores and islands is the Western Black Widow spider. This spider, although not aggressive to humans, is quite poisonous, and can make an individual very sick with excruciating pain at the bite sight, in the muscles and tissues and create serious flu like symptoms. Other symptoms may include nausea, profuse perspiration, tremors, labored breathing, restlessness and increased blood pressure. Symptoms often diminish after a day or so and cease after several days. It is rarely fatal to healthy adults but can be a very serious risk to the young, aged and pets. We do have Black Widows in the marina and we have noticed them moving into areas along the docks. They like cold, dark areas. Check thoroughly for these spiders when you are out to visit your boats.

Someone dumped a large amount of sulfuric acid on the eastbound onramp to Interstate 80 creating a hazardous area. It appears this action was intentional. The acid is very dangerous and must be cleaned up before the onramp can be open again. No date has been announced for the reopening. Until then, anyone heading east must travel down the frontage road to 7200 west (exit 111).

Well, the lake seems to be stabilizing. I predicted earlier this year that the lake would reach 4193.7 This may be a slightly pessimistic view now. The current level is 4194.1. If daytime temperatures stay cool we may only drop a few tenths of a foot for the rest of the year putting us around 4193.9 for the yearly low.

But, long term thinkers that we are, the marina management has decided to implement a new policy with our marina users. Each user, before being allowed to enter the park, must fill a five gallon bucket of water from the tap at their homes or places of work. This water must be transported to the marina and deposited into the lake for each and every visit from October 1st to May 1st of Next year. Eric Johnson, our new seasonal, will be on hand at the stop sign and fee station to check for proper parking stickers and to check that the bucket of water you are transporting to the marina does indeed include 5 US gallons of water.

Fall is upon us now. This brings many changes. The biggest change is to the weather. During the summer Great Salt Lake is usually in a monsoonal pattern which brings afternoon thunderstorms, lightning and rain. This monsoonal season was very week for Great Salt Lake exacerbating the dry summer and drought situation. But we are now turning the seasonal corner and moving away from the week monsoonal pattern. Now we move to a more active Frontal Weather pattern. Frontal patterns are characterized by moderate to strong and warm south winds preceding a front. As the front gets closer the winds will build, becoming gustier and more violent. The most violent gusts will be as the front passes over and then the winds will switch to the north. These northern winds will initially be strong at the center of the front and then gradually weaken as the front moves out of the area.

The southerly pre-frontal winds bring blustery wind conditions that can be gusty and violent at the Great Salt Lake Marina. Typically these winds will max out in the 40 to 50 knot range but often climb into the 70 knot range. 100 knot winds are not uncommon and usually happen once or twice a year. The unofficial record for a wind gust at the Great Salt Lake Marina is 214 mph. Pre-frontal winds can be very damaging to unsecured property (and even secured at times). Waves will usually not be very big near the marina but will build rapidly up the lake. Tooele Twisters are common in a pre-frontal flow. Skies usually remain clear but dusty during these fronts with relatively warm temperatures.

As the front passes over it will usually bring a wall of rain, strong north winds with large waves, and occasionally lightning. Temperatures will rapidly drop with the front. Waves will build down the lake reaching heights of 4 to 6 feet just outside the marina. Eight to ten foot waves are not unheard of farther up the lake, especially near the Hat Island shelf. A positive storm surge of one foot (Three feet is not unheard of) will increase water levels along the south shore. Northern winds and waves will gradually decrease as the front moves out of the area. These wind and waves will typically dissipate within 12 hours bringing flat water, cool temperatures and clear skies.

Current Long Term charts show the drought persisting in the Bear River Drainage area. This is not good since this is a significant source of water for the Great Salt Lake. The charts show now drought conditions for the Weber/Ogden, nor the Jordan River area. (Of course not. They still have all our Great Salt Lake water from last winter. Water hogging little #*!$&).

Temperatures are forecasted to remain above normal for the Great Salt Lake basin from October through December. Yet there is an equal chance of drier than normal or wetter than normal conditions (This is what I call a wishy-washy, no-way-to-be-wrong forecast).

Last week I sent a testy note to our slip renters after visiting my slip on 'K' dock and seeing it totally trashed. This message has nothing to do with that issue. But I am quite concerned with the approaching frontal weather pattern and loose objects on all the docks. Last spring we had quite a bit of unsecured property in the docks and dry storage. After a potent storm, this stuff was dispersed throughout the marina and adjacent beaches. One particularly large board impaled itself in the lawn and another traveled from the Mast Crane all the way across E dock, D, dock, took a mast out on C dock and landed on B dock. In the past we have had small boats become airborne including a canoe that traveled from the dinghy rack and impaled itself in the fence at the top of E dock. Fuel cans regularly end up in the lake spilling gas and diesel in the water before littering the breakwater. Fenders are constantly found in the lake. Dock boxes end up in the water and along the beaches.

14. If it is not your power cord, your hose, or your dock box, it does not belong on the dock. All fuel tanks must be stored on your boat or in your dock box. Any chairs must be secured to your boat or stored in your dock box. All lines must properly be stowed within your boat or dock box. etc. etc. etc.

16. Look around your slip or storage area. Can you see anything just sitting out? Paint Cans, brushes, ladders, boxes, wood, etc. Clean it up and throw it away or put it away. It may look heavy but it will get airborne and cause damage or injure someone.

I know that the Pumpkin Patch is coming soon and many of you want to keep your kayaks or dinghies out until that time. This is fine. But we would like to have the whole marina clean and secured by November 1st. The maintenance crew and the Genesis kids will be going through the marina on November 3rd. Any remaining water hoses will be removed (if you want to keep your hose remove it before this date or it will be gone. They are a winter hazard and make snow removal hard). Any remaining loose objects will be removed from the docks. This pretty well includes everything except power cords. Dry storage and Unsecured Dry Storage will also be thoroughly cleaned.

The Utah economy is having an impact on all State agencies. This includes Great Salt Lake State Marina. State Parks is targeting a 4% cut. Currently, the powers-that-be are deciding the fate of our budgets. We do not know what kind of an impact that this may have on the marina but we will have to scale back some projects we were hoping to complete this year. We do hope that this will not mean cutting employees since we are already thin here.

Duck Hunting Season begins this Saturday, October 4th and will go into January. The hunters are allowed to hunt to within 1/4 mile of the marina. No closer. They can only fire shotguns within this boundary. All other firearms are not permitted to be discharged within a mile of any state park facility.

I have yet to see a duck hunting boat that would safety withstand the conditions Great Salt Lake throws at them. The only thing that keeps these duck hunters safe on Great Salt Lake is the smart boating wisdom displayed by some of the more experienced boaters of this group. Yet, too many duck hunters do not know what this lake can do or the limitations of their boats. If you see some of these types, start a conversation, be friendly and maybe give them some advise from your experiences.

Due to the dry conditions and the shallowness of the Great Salt Lake this year DWR is estimating that duck hunting will be poor along the Great Salt Lake shores. and its tributaries. This may keep duck hunting to a minimum on the main lake body and along the south shore.

Now that we've talked about Brine Shrimping and Duck Hunting, we can properly talk about boating at night. Many sailors and kayakers like to boat at night on the lake. Especially during the full moon nights. This is perfectly fine and legal. In fact it is a great time to boat on the Great Salt Lake and enjoy what it has to offer. But too often people are boating without the proper lights. Now that the waters are going to be much busier with all the commercial and hunting activity, it is ever more important to make sure you can be seen. And it is the law. Both Great Salt Lake Marina and Antelope Island will be doing night patrols, with the brine shrimp season, and will be enforcing the navigation lights.

I will confess my greatest fear to you. It is having to do a rescue or vessel assist at night and running over a kayaker or small sailboat that wasn't properly lit with navigation lights. Radar has its limitations. Very often it is hard to pick up a kayaker and sometimes even a larger sailboat. They don't make the best targets for radar to bounce off of. Be Safe, Use navigation lights prescribed by law.

Recently I sent out an email about the Quagga Mussel and Zebra Mussel and how this affects you as a Great Salt Lake boater. I sent out a notice about a seminar being hosted by the Colorado River Team. They are inviting you to attend the free seminar. The date of this seminar is October 7th. They would like you to register in advance if you plan to attend. The link is http://100thmeridian.org/COLRBregform2008.asp

We are getting closer to the date when we will be turning off the water to the docks and the Pump-A-Head docks. Only a few short weeks away. We have scheduled the turn off date for October 27th. but this could be effected by a cold snap. Get your boats cleaned early. Get your heads pumped out now and keep them low. You never know when we may have to shut the water off for the year.

And a little note about dumping Porta-Potties in the restroom. DON'T. JUST DON'T DO IT! TAKE THEM HOME! We had a very serious mess two weeks ago that clogged up, shut down and flooded both restrooms. These restrooms are not designed for the volume of material and toilet paper that can come from a porta-potty. The system clogged up. Then some tourists came into the restrooms and tried to use them. This stressed the system out even more forcing water and fowl up through every toilet and drain until it was a stinky soupy horrific mess flowing out into the lawn. This mess took several hours to clean up and created a health concern for those of us that had to clean up the mess. Dumping of porta-potties in the restrooms will be considered a serious violation of the slip agreement.

All five active marinas on Great Salt Lake have restrictions on commercial or recreational use of their marinas. Great Salt Lake State Marina, for example, cannot, by law, allow brine shrimping operations within its boundaries. Yet the marina is obligated to grant Safe Harbor to a vessel, when a vessel or her crew is in imminent danger as are all marinas on Great Salt Lake.

You, as a vessel operator, also have responsibilities when requesting Safe Harbor. You are obligated to attempt to make contact with the marina authority prior to entering the marina. You must request Safe Harbor and state the reasons for the request. you must obey the instructions and directions of the marina authority. You are not entitled to use any facilities in the marina that would be out of the scope of safety or protection, unless granted by the marina authority. You are not entitled to stay any longer than is necessary for the immediate safety of you, your crew and your vessel unless granted by the marina authority.

As stated above, when requesting Safe Harbor, the marina authority is obligated to provide you access to their marina only for the safety of you, your crew and your vessel. This doesn't not preclude you from asking permission, at any time, to enter a marina for any other reason. The marina may grant permission to do so but is not obligated to grant access.

We have recently concluded a Safe Harbor document and understanding with all the current functioning marinas of Great Salt Lake. This document includes locations, phone numbers, instructions, operating radio frequencies, GPS coordinates, etc. This document is available upon request.

The public is invited to attend a modern, western roundup from 8am to 5pm Wednesday, October 22nd through Friday, October 24th when horseback riders move the Antelope Island bison herd from the southern tip of the island, to the handling facility located at the park's northern end. This annual event is an opportunity for the public to see the roundup of one of the nation's largest and oldest public herds.

Visitors may view the riders and bison from the eastside road leading to the Fielding Garr Ranch. A complete and sweeping view of the action is available from a safe distance. Visitors are encouraged to bring binoculars for a closer view of the animals and handlers.

Food, drink and memorabilia, such as t-shirts and sweatshirts, are available for purchase throughout the Bison Roundup. To reach Antelope Island State Park, take I-15 to exit 332 and travel west on Antelope Drive to the entrance station. Park fees are $9 per vehicle. For more information please call 801-773-2941