OCR Text |
Show periods,, What specifically does the operation plan for the water conveyance system and power generation in Diamond Fork look like?" 70 The latter portion of the Forest Service environmental assessment raises pertinent questions regarding the construction and operation of the Diamond Fork Power System. The answers to some of these questions appear in this statement; however, most of them require further study to achieve adequate clarification. The Bureau of Reclamation would respond to these questions and many others in a future detailed environmental statement. There are three Forest Service Campgrounds-- Three Forks, Palmyra, and Diamond-- located along the Diamond Fork Power System on Diamond Fork. Operation of the power system would adversely affect the use of these campgrounds by creating a safety hazard associated with the high discharges of water that would normally occur twice each day or when sudden demands for electrical power arose. The recreational facilities concerned provided about 100,000 visitor- days in 1971. The Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife has estimated that the reduced flows through the 6 miles of Sixth Water Creek from the West Portal of Strawberry Tunnel, resulting from termination of the existing Strawberry Irrigation System, would improve fishing by 900 man- days per yearc This projection is contingent upon some stream rehabilitation work that is discussed in Section D. The 2 miles of Sixth Water Creek downsteam from Sixth Water Reservoir would be expected to produce an annual increase in fishing of 1,400 man- days. Diamond Fork from its confluence with Sixth Water Creek downsteam 5 miles to the Hayes Reservoir site would be expected to produce an annual increase of 2,400 man- days of fishing. About 0.7 mile of Sixth Water Creek would be inundated by Sixth Water Reservoir resulting in a loss of 200 man- days of fishing. The 31 acres of impoundment produced by construction of Syar and Sixth Water Reservoirs would not be open to the public and would have no fishery or recreational value because of the extreme fluctuations that would occur during operation of the power system. 261 |