LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – Winds were so high in southern Nevada over the weekend, a lake blew north and is now too low to recreate on.
After heavy rains from Hurricane Hilary in August 2023 and an atmospheric river in February, Badwater Basin at Death Valley National Park saw enough water to allow for kayaking at Lake Manly. However, high winds from the past weekend blew the water about two miles north, according to park officials, which also sped up evaporation, leading the National Park Service to close boating on the shallow lake.
“It was amazing to see an entire lake migrate!” NPS Superintendent Mike Reynolds said in a release. “But now the water is drying up, leaving wide mudflats. People were walking a long way, sometimes dragging their boats. This leaves footprints and drag marks that will likely be visible for years. This left us with no choice but to curtail boating on historic Lake Manly at this time.”
People were able to kayak for about a month on Lake Manly, which NPS called a rare opportunity.
“Visitors for the next few years would prefer to see the natural polygon designs in the salt, rather than hard-crusted footprints and deep boat drag marks,” said Reynolds.
People are encouraged to walk out into the lake/salt flat from the Badwater Basin parking lot, staying on already-compacted surfaces.
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