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Show The existing operation plan for the proposed power system would create an undesirable condition for stream stability and safe utilization of 5 miles of Diamond Fork by fishermen and other recreationists. The most serious of these two problems would be the safety hazard for humans, particularly small children. The safety problem would be acute because of the close proximity of three Forest Service Campgrounds that receive heavy use. Under the proposed Unit plan it would not be possible to create conditions suitable for development of quality fishery. The high, rapidly fluctuating Unit flows would damage fish habitat and deteriorate the stream banks. The possibility of reducing the magnitude of the flow is being investigated and is discussed in detail in Section H. Spanish Fork River About 18 to 30 c. f. s. of water would be released from Hayes Reservoir during the winter months to provide a 75- c. f. s. minimum flow in the river below its confluence with Diamond Fork. Under the existing flow regime critical winter flows periodically reached a level below 50 c. f. s. The increased flow would improve overwintering conditions for fish. Cumulative Effects of Streamflows Changes In making the final assessment of the total impact that the Bonneville Unit would have on fish habitat in Utah, several important factors must be considered: ( a) Stream fish habitat studies indicate that a substantial amount of the total flow of many streams can be removed without severely reducing the capacity of the stream to produce fish. 106, 107, 109 It is the timing of the flow reduction that is most critical, particularly for mountain streams. iuy Maintaining adequate winter and late irrigation season flows is of utmost importance for streams which would be affected by the Bonneville Unit; 342 |
