NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

MORNING REPORT

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

INCIDENTS

Lake Mead NRA

Park And Concessioner Work To Repair Flashflood Damage

The heavy rains from the storms that struck the park on Monday caused a flashflood in Callville Wash that significantly damaged the marina and knocked out electricity to the entire area. The ten-foot wall of water that came down the wash was powerful enough to move the 10,000-pound concrete blocks used to anchor the marina. No privately-owned boats at the marina were damaged, though. The park and Forever Resorts are working to restore operations at the marina as quickly as possible, but the area will likely be closed for at least several days. Meanwhile, Callville Bay and the Callville Bay access road have been closed to all park visitors. No services will be available to the public at the bay until the closure order is rescinded. Rangers are controlling access to the area at the intersection of Callville Bay Access Road and Northshore Road. Damage assessment teams will be working this week to assess the storm damage and provide accurate cost estimates. Preliminarily, damage estimates are near $1 million. NV Energy is working to restore power, but it's estimated it could take up to a week. Echo Bay launch ramp is closed due to the dirt access road being washed out. Maintenance crews should have access restored by the end of the week. All other services at Echo Bay including the marina, store and trailer village are open. Temple Bar and Hemenway Harbor launch ramps are open and all services are available from those marinas. Lake Mead RV Village is open. The most current conditions will be posted on the park's Twitter site at HYPERLINK "http://twitter.com/LakeMeadNRA" http://twitter.com/LakeMeadNRA . Information will also be available on the park's web site at HYPERLINK "http://www.nps.gov/lake" http://www.nps.gov/lake. [Andrew S. Muñoz, Public Affairs Officer]

Sequoia and Kings Canyon NPs

Large Marijuana Plantation Eradicated

On Wednesday, September 29th, rangers removed an illegal marijuana plot with a total of 13,077 plants worth over $52 million from Sequoia National Park. They also found several hazardous materials that can cause harm to the natural environment at the site, including trash, fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides. The plot is believed to have ties to a Mexican drug trafficking organization. No arrests have been made yet. An investigation is ongoing. [Dana Dierkes, Public Affairs Specialist]

OTHER NEWS

The following stories are among those in today's edition of InsideNPS. To see the full text, including images, NPS employees should go to the InsideNPS home page ( HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=index" http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=index). Non-NPS employees can see most of them on the NPS Digest page ( HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/):

Fire and Aviation Management - This week is National Fire Prevention Week and the NPS structural fire program is looking at how fire has impacted NPS employees and historic structures. Today's focus is on how a quick and effective response saved a historic cabin at Zion National Park.

Yosemite NP - The Yosemite Conservancy has donated $5.9 million to Yosemite National Park to preserve and protect park resources and enrich visitor experiences.

Jimmy Carter NHS - President Jimmy Carter was greeted by cheers and well wishers on Friday, September 24th, as Jimmy Carter National Historic Site celebrated the completion of a new walking path at the Jimmy Carter Boyhood Farm. Photo.

US Park Police - The theme of this year's season-closing ball at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts was a celebration of the culture and grandeur of Canada. Participating was a horse-mounted unit comprised of USPP officers and RCMP constables. Photo.

Denver Service Center - On September 9th, the National Park Service awarded a $12.1 million contract to construct the new Mesa Verde Visitor and Research Center. The building is scheduled to open in the fall of 2012.

Oregon Caves NM - This past summer marked the completion of a major, eighteen-month project to upgrade the telecommunications system in Oregon Caves. Photo.

Natchez Trace Parkway - In acknowledgement of a tremendous team effort, 155 employees of the Natchez Trace Parkway were recently recognized for outstanding safety performance (no injuries or accidents) in FY10.

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Prepared by the Division of Law Enforcement, Security and Emergency Services, Washington Office, with the support of the Office of the Chief Information Officer. Edited by Bill Halainen ( HYPERLINK "mailto:Bill_Halainen@nps.gov" Bill_Halainen@nps.gov).

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