OCR Text |
Show ditions, however, could be changed by later park developments. For its entire length the Bridge Canyon Reservoir would be confined in the lower inner gorge and extend only short distances up side canyons. The largest arm would extend up Diamond Creek and Peach Spring Draw about 2.5 miles. The narrowest arm would extend more than 2.5 miles up the sheer- walled Parashont Canyon. The entire reservoir would be in colorful canyons of overwhelming grandeur, and the north- south section of this fiord- like lake between Diamond Creek, Granite Park, and Parashont Canyon, would be extraordinarily scenic. The Act of February 26, 1919 ( 40 Stat. 1175) creating Grand Canyon National Park provides in Section 7: That, whenever consistent with the primary purposes of said park, the Secretary of the Interior is authorized to permit the utilization of areas therein which may be necessary for the development and maintenance of a Government reclamation project. ( U. S. C., title 16, sec. 227.) Various heights for Bridge Canyon Dam have been considered, but the one presently planned would have a maximum water surface elevation of 1,876 feet. This would raise the water 666 feet above the stream bed at the dam and place the head of the reservoir less than a mile downstream from the mouth of Kanab Creek. It would raise the water surface about 85 feet at the mouth of Havasu Creek, backing the water approximately one- half mile up Havasu Canyon in Grand Canyon National Park. Frederick Law Olmsted, noted landscape architect, made a study of the probable effects of the proposed Bridge Canyon Dam upon the national park and monument. In his report Mr. Olmsted said: This section of the Grand Canyon as a whole is notable for the distinctive character of its scenery, especially as seen from certain places on the upper rim on both sides of the canyon. It was completely included from rim to rim in the portion of the Grand Canyon originally set apart in 1908 as a national mon- . ument for preservation of the noneconomic values of its unique and inspiring scenery. It was, and is worthy of selection for such a purpose. When the Grand Canyon National Park was established in 1919, its boundaries were so drawn as to leave the entire north side of the canyon between Tapeats Creek and Havasu Creek under the administration of the Forest Service, which had previously administered all parts of the Grand Canyon set apart for preservation of its natural scenery in 1908. The investigators have found no record indicating that the omission of that area from the park was due to a deliberate and reasoned decision to reverse the earlier intention of protecting the scenery of this entire unit of the canyon from rim to rim. If that is to remain the policy of the Government concerning this entire unit of the Grand Canyon, in accordance with the deci- ion made in 1908 and adhered to in essence ever since, then the limitation of Bridge Canyon Reservoir to an elevation that will not encroach on that protected area should be continued, for the following points are clear, viz: A higher elevation would substantially alter natural conditions and injuriously affect the natural scenery along the Colorado River as far as the backing up of the water extends, for the sake of an exclusively economic gain, in direct contradiction of that policy. The conclusion above stated is not invalidated by the fact ( a) that the impairment of natural scenery within the supposedly protected area would be relatively limited in extent in comparison with the entire area of the Grand Canyon that is supposedly protected, and would probably be observed by no more than a small fraction of the people who visit various parts of that entire area in order to enjoy its scenery, and ( b) that the economic gain would be relatively large. If, on the other hand, it is decided that the justifying reason for existence of a national park extending into the canyon downstream from Tapeats Creek is not that of protecting, in conjunction with the Forest Service, natural conditions and scenery in the Grand Canyon from rim to rim, but merely to protect Havasu Canyon Unit and adjacent areas south of 137 |