Death Valley's 'Lake Manly' is shrinking, will no longer take any boats, Park Service says

The opportunity to cruise by way of boat on the lake that formed at Death Valley National Park has dried up, literally.

The National Park Service said Monday that “Lake Manly,” the temporary lake that formed in Badwater Basin in late February is “closed to boating.” 

Tourists from all over the world flocked to the area over the last week, basking in the opportunity to kayak, stroll, or frolic in one of the normally driest places in the world.

The occurrence, called an “extremely rare event” by The Park Service, was brought on by record torrential rains and flooding, according to previous USA TODAY reporting. 

"Lake Manly", which formed a few weeks after Hurricane Hillary, was thought to last at least a couple more weeks. 

Here’s what we know.

Why can’t you boat at the Death Valley Lake anymore? 

"Lake Manly" has now become “too shallow and too far from the road” to transport and launch watercraft without damaging the landscape, according to the NPS. 

Visitors are no longer able to bring a boat or any other vessel that travels on water. 

They will, however, still have the chance to observe the stunning reflections of the surrounding peaks in its calm waters for the moment, USA TODAY reported. 

“Then it’ll be a muddy, wet mess, and then it’ll dry out into those gorgeous white salt flats," NPS Park Ranger Nichole Andler told the Associated Press. 

How did the lake in Death Valley form? 

A number of storms brought “record amounts of rain” to Death Valley National Park over the last six months, causing "Lake Manly" to form at Badwater Basin.

The basin runs along part of central California’s border with Nevada, USA TODAY reported.

"Lake Manly" was but a “shallow reflecting pool” when it appeared in August, forming after the remnants of Hurricane Hilary, according to NPS. 

Water filled the lake in early February from another Californian storm, known as an atmospheric river, USA TODAY reported. The additional water raised levels back to a foot deep in some places, NPS said. 

“Then intense winds from February 29 through March 2 blew the lake to the north, spreading it out, resulting in shallower water,” according to NPS. 

What made "Lake Manly’s" formation “especially rare” was that all the water collected in the basin “typically evaporates faster than it flows,” Andler previously told AP.

“To have as much water as we have now – and for it to be as deep and lasting as long as it has – this is extremely uncommon. If it’s not once-in-a-lifetime, it’s nearly,” Andler said.

Contributing: Eric Lagatta and James Powel; USA TODAY