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Show Salt Lake City Watershed Management Plan ' 99 Canyon Uses: Millcreek Canyon is characterized by a long history of intensive summer recreation and moderate winter recreation. A limited number of summer recreation residences have been constructed, but no new construction has taken place in the past decade due to the lack of private land available and a Forest Service policy against further residential leasing. Large traffic volumes are associated with recreational uses. Developed recreation in Millcreek Canyon consists primarily of picnicking, with an approximate 1,900 person capacity. Dispersed recreation activities in the canyon include bicycling, car touring, and hiking. Fishing and limited backpacking are available in the Mount Olympus Wilderness Area. Winter recreation consists primarily of cross country skiing, although snowshoeing and dog walking are growing in popularity. F. Big Cottonwood Canyon Physical and Hydrologic Conditions: Big Cottonwood Canyon comprises 50 square miles of drainage area with elevations ranging from 5,000 feet to over 10,500 feet. The lower portion of the canyon is steep and meandering as the result of natural stream cutting processes while the top portion of the canyon is straight and broad due to massive glaciation. The upper portion of the canyon ends in a large basin with moderately steep side slopes. Big Cottonwood Creek originates in the Big Cottonwood Canyon's upper basins, and Twin Lakes and Lake Mary reservoirs. Approximately a dozen side- canyon streams intersect the main drainage. Side- canyon reservoirs include Lillian, Florence, and Blanche. These large basins contribute to the highest annual water yield in the plan area of 51,238 acre- feet. Big Cottonwood Creek receives heavy snow pack that, combined with the high elevation, steep side slopes and orientation, contributes to the late average peak flow date of May 28. The flow rate for the Creek is relatively stable due to the width of the canyon and the soil's ability to absorb water. Flooding occurs during May and June as a result of cloudburst rain storms on melting snowpack. Canyon Uses: Uses in Big Cottonwood Canyon are characterized by full and part- time residences, developed and dispersed recreation and transportation. Brighton and Solitude ski areas are located in the canyon. During the past decade both of these areas have undergone expansion in facilities and use. According to the U. S. Forest Service Wasatch- Cache National Forest Management Plan, no new resorts will be allowed in the canyon and the expansion of existing resorts will be limited. The average daily . Page 9 |