A Place called Lower Bowns

Lower Bowns Reservoir, located in Utah's Garfield County, is an intermediate- sized reservoir of 90 acres. At an elevation of 7,450 ft, the reservoir sits in a depression on a long, forested slope that begins at over 11,000 ft at the crest of Boulder Mountain, an eastward extension of the Aquarius Plateau. From the plateau's top at 3,300 meters, the land drops off to the Waterpocket Fold in Capitol Reef NP at 1,600 meters. Lower Bowns Reservoir is near the bottom of the slope, just a short distance east of Utah's Hwy 12 or U-12. Surprisingly, the greater part of this area's annual precipitation falls during July, August and September in the form of rain. This often comes in cloudbursts (with violent lightning) that release so much water onto non-absorptive rock that it collects rapidly into countless drainage channels, pouring into the larger washes and eventually the Fremont River. Streambeds that are normally dry may then witness short-lived torrents of turbid, debris-laden floodwater. In general, floods have not been as violent during the past few decades of reduced precipitation as they were 60 years ago, but they are always impressive and can still be dangerous. In 1994, my friend was killed by a bolt of lightning while eating his lunch on the east side of Lower Bowns Reservoir. In the distance are the Henry Mountains, with 11,615 ft Mount Ellen clearly visible (above the Ponderosa pine tree) in this view looking NE from the U-12 highway.