OCR Text |
Show these aspects in an open and objective manner. The statement also attempts to bring intangible impacts into reasonable perspective. Significant beneficial and adverse environmental impacts would be expected to result from the Unit, The beneficial impacts would be mainly related to increased satisfaction of existing and future needs through the year 1990 of municipal, industrial, and agricultural use of imported water in the Bonneville Basin ( refer to Section A). Important reservoir based recreational benefits would also developc The adverse impacts would be mainly related to fish and wildlife habitat losses, through the diking of Utah Lake, and through inundation and reduced stream flows. Important esthetic values would be degraded by the instrusion of man- made facilities in relatively undisturbed wilderness settings. Most of the questionable impacts concern the social and economic implications of transporting water from the relatively sparsely populated Uinta Basin to the more densely populated and more rapidly expanding Wasatch Fronto One importnat problem encountered in discussing the quantitative aspects of environmental impacts was that final design and location plans for those features proposed to be constructed several years in the future have not yet been completed. However, this statement will present as current and detailed a discussion of quantitative impacts as possible. More detailed information should result as investigations and evaluations proceed. These environmental assessments and evaluations would be used in the preparation of environmental statements on the major systems of the Unit not yet under construction. Judgments as to the classification of environmental impacts were made as objectively as possible. Judgments were based upon prevailing attitudes, known trends, established standard, comments on the Bonneville Unit Draft Environmental Statement, and the objectives and perspective of the Unit plan. 2. Impacts of Completed and Partially Completed Features a. Starvation Reservoir Complex The Starvation and Knight Diversion Dams were completed in 1970 and are now in operation ( see Figure A- 4). The reservoir has inundated about 3,000 acres of land including approximately 7 miles of the Strawberry River. Operation of these features causes flows in about 8 miles of the Duchesne River below the Knight diversion to be substantially reduced below average natural conditions during the fall, winter, and spring seaons. 212 |