OCR Text |
Show the few the thrills of boating down the untamed river and reduce the apparent depths of the river canyons, they would be confined in the canyon of the Colorado and Green Rivers and have little, if any, effect on the great recreational resources of the region. Instead, the reservoirs would provide a means of access for many to see the wonders of the canyons. The area is large enough and varied enough to permit the continued use and development of its resources- water power, minerals, forage, and recreation. Except in certain limited sections where a single use is essential to obtain the greatest benefits, these resources can be developed and used simultaneously. The most important recreational sections of the Canyon Lands of southeastern Utah are the Grays Pasture- Junction Butte area, the Elk Ridge- Needles area, the Lands End area, the Hole in Rock area, the Hite area, the Wahweap area, the Goosenecks of the San Juan River, the Arch Canyon area, and Fisher Towers. Certain parts of these areas which contain known features of national importance should be withdrawn to afford them proper protection. Dinosaur National Monument.- This monument was established in 1915 to preserve a rich deposit of fossilized dinosaur bones. In 1938. it was administrative agency now responsible for Dinosaur National Monument, is to make the protection of the natural and archeological values of the area the controlling factor in administering it. Before authorization is given to develop the water resources of the monument and to recognize water use as the principal consideration in the administration of the Canyon Unit, it should be clearly shown ( 1) that the economic and social values of such development will exceed the costs of producing them; ( 2) that it would be more economical to develop the water resources of the monument rather than some other resources available for the same purpose within practicable reach; and ( 3) that it would be of greater benefit to the whole Nation to develop the area for water storage and power than to retain the monument in a natural state for the enjoyment of all the people. Conservation of recreational resources- The Colorado River Basin lies directly across all lines of travel between the rapidly increasing population of California and the densely populated eastern half of the United States. In the past the basin was to a large extent considered just a vast space that had to be crossed on the way to California. Now, with the Pacific Coast more fully developed, people seeking undeveloped, uncrowded areas are beginning to disinterest round in the adjoining canyons ot the Green and Yampa Rivers. Functionally, the monument now consists of the Quarry Unit, comprising three or four thousand acres, and the Canyon Unit, consisting of about 206,000 acres. Two dam sites for utilizing the water resources of the Green and Yampa Rivers- the Echo Park and Split Mountain- are located in the monument. Construction of dams at these sites would adversely alter the dominant geological and wilderness qualities and the relatively minor archeological and wildlife values of the Canyon Unit so that it would no longer possess national monument qualifications. Unit. At the time this report was prepared, data were not available to determine whether the proposed pressure tunnel from Split Mountain Dam to a power plant on the Green River would affect the Quarry Unit. The policy of the National Park Service, as the varied recreational features. It is also time to develop facilities which will enable people to see and enjoy the region. There are natural limitations on the amount of land that can be placed under cultivation. There is a limit, already reached in most sections, on the number of domestic animals that can be grazed. But the possibilities for the development of the recreational use of the basin are almost unlimited. Some of the more important areas that should be preserved and made available for recreation are the western slope of the Wind River Range in Wyoming; the San Juan- San Miguel- Uncompah- Mountain area, and the Park Range in Colorado; the Uinta Mountains, the Aquarius Plateau- Boulder Mountain area, Monument Valley, and the Canyon Lands of southeastern Utah; the Gila primitive area and Manuelito area in New Mexico; Meteor Crater, Fort Bowie, the Blue Range area, xxii |