'It's run its course': Utah ready to sell Lake Powell ferry as reservoir hits new low

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah transportation officials launched a ferry in the 1980s to drastically reduce the travel time between Bullfrog and Halls Crossing at Lake Powell.

However, as the nation's second-largest reservoir has fallen to its lowest point again this month, the third time that has happened over the last five years, it's been inoperable more often than not lately. And with a projection that it may not be serviceable again until at least 2030, state leaders and transportation officials say they're ready to move on.

Members of the Utah Legislature Transportation Interim Committee voted unanimously on Wednesday to get the ball rolling on permanently discontinuing the service. They tasked the Utah Department of Transportation to return to the committee later this year with a proposal to sell the ferry, with the proceeds potentially going back to transportation needs in southeast Utah.

'It's run its course," said Rep. Michael Petersen, R-North Logan, before the vote, adding that he doesn't believe prolonging the service is a good use of taxpayer dollars.

Even supporters of the vessel agreed after a damning presentation of the service that ended with UDOT suggesting that selling the boat might be the best course of action.

The ferry, when in service, takes 25 to 30 minutes to complete a journey that typically takes about two hours to complete via roads. But ferry service has been inoperable since Feb. 10, 2025, and reservoir levels are over 40 feet below the minimum level to make the service operable, UDOT officials noted.

Wednesday's meeting came after the reservoir between Utah and Arizona hit 3,519.91 feet elevation over the weekend, breaking its lowest point previously set in 2023, which followed a new low hit in 2022.

UDOT offered the committee two other alternatives outside of selling the ferry. One called for committing $20 million to $25 million over the next four years to extend the Halls Crossing ramp again, while repairing the boat.

The other is to build a bridge to connect the two points, which is preliminarily estimated to cost $650 million to build before any operation and maintenance costs.

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