OCR Text |
Show The construction of the Starvation Complex has altered the esthetic composition of the area. Both the level crest line and surface texture of the earthfill dam blend well into soils and topographic lines of flat- topped mesas at both abutments. Further, even though the water body is foreign to the area it is attractive overall. At the present time, annual water level drawdowns are not severe and exposed areas of unattractive bare substrate are not extensive. Future dry years in conjunction with operation of the proposed Strawberry Aqueduct could result in larger areas of substrate being exposed. The unexpectedly heavy recreational use of the reservoir suggests that the " esthetic alteration" has been acceptable to many. Perhaps the most adverse visual impact has been the unsuccessful attempt to revegetate the 220- acre borrow area above the left abutment of the dam. This area was reseeded this winter when soil moisture conditions were good. Soldier Creek Dam and Access Road Soldier Creek Dam was topped out in November of 1972 and will be completed during the summer ( see Figures A- 12 and A- 13.) of 1973. It is currently capable of impounding water and regulating the flow of the Strawberry River. The control gates are now open, so that only about 600 acre- feet of water has accumulated behind the dam. Storage will not begin until the summer of 1973 after the State Division of Wildlife Resources has completed a " trash" fish eradication program. The " trash" fish eradication program primarily for Utah chub ( Gila atraria) is scheduled to be accomplished in mid- July on the section of the Strawberry River between Soldier Creek Dam and the existing reservoir. The water will be chemically treated with the toxicant rotenone and the water area over Stinking Springs will be blasted with a grid of dynamite in order to dislodge and kill any fish seeking refuge in the springs. The eradication program will be carried out by the Utah Divison of Wildlife Resources in cooperation with the Bureau of Reclamation and the Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife. An environmental assessment of the program is now being prepared by the Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife and will be completed prior to its implementation. Restoration of consturction roads and borrow areas has not yet been completed and bare areas are visible. Virtually all of the materials for the dam embankment were 215 |