Memories of Rush

[Kenny]

The other night I was talking to a guy named Art that used to windsurf at Rush 20 years ago. He told me that one windless day he rode his bike around the lake and started talking to a farmer who lives nearby. The farmer told him that when he moved in there was no lake, just an open field. His grandfather told him that there was a lake there when he was a kid. So apparently Rush goes through cycles of being a lake and a dried-up lakebed. Hopefully, my grandchildren will sail there some day...

I noticed when I was out there yesterday that a developer is putting in a new subdivision on the East side of the lake. It appears that the lots will be about 10 - 15 feet higher than the current water level - guess the developer hasn't spoken with any of the old timers.

As I was riding at Rush yesterday, I thought about my memories of Rush - here are some in no particular order
1. Mitch (I wonder if he would have rode at Rush on big Wednesday on a 5M kite jumping 50 feet in the air over 12" of water?)
2. The great fish die-off
3. 2 kiters, 40 windsurfer days
4. Swell on a SE morning, riding to the pig farm and back
5. Butter Island - more recent memory as it was underwater during the windsurfer years.
6. Ryan's 5 kiteloop jump landing 200 yards inland.
7. Heavy metal, toxic poisoning rumours
8. The afternoon Dugway Proving Grounds alert
9. Baby Birds
10. The Rush Poem - if anyone has a copy, please post.

[jason morton]

Kenny-
I have many fond memories of Rush, as most of us do, as well. I remember going out there in the late 80's with high school buddies learning to windsurf. Lots of water then. I had a patient who has lived in the Rush valley for 30+ years and has said the same thing. The lake fluctuates over the years and sometimes has no water at all. But it was Capt. Chipr who said that Rush is connected to a giant aquifer extending all the way to the GSL. If the GSL if full there will be plenty of water in Rush lake. I found that interesting. I'm sure Rush will come back one of these years, and we'll be ready!!

[Craig Goudie]

I agree with Chipr about the Rush level being directly affected by the GSL level (that has been my experience since
the late 70s before I windsurfed). Rush was almost 10ft deep at it's peak in 1982 or 1983. Unfortunately,
unless there are some Edward Abee style actions, the continued development out there coupled with increased
farming (and use of the water), will likely keep Rush from ever attaining it's former glory.

I've posted these before, but here's a couple of shots of a much younger Rush and I from the glory years.

-Craig

[Todd Jacques]

Damn Craig you had all the babes!!! I remeber being there in 97 and took the flys home to PC where they started a new snob fly up here that only likes rich cows!