OCR Text |
Show fine geological exposures, would reduce the visible height of canyon walls, and would substitute long bodies of still water, widening here and there into bays, for the characteristic rivers and fringing vegetation which now lie in canyon bottoms. The Canyon of Lodore would contain a narrow fiord- like lake which would inundate a portion of the exposed geological formations in the canyon bottoms. The same is true of the Yampa Canyon. Particularly deplorable effects of the Echo Park Reservoir upon geological and wilderness features would occur in the localities of Pats Hole and Echo Park near the junction of the Green and Yampa Rivers and in Castle Park and Hardings Hole on the Yampa River. A large part of Pats Hole would be covered by the Echo Park Reservoir. The fine spring and Pats Cave where the interesting character, Pat Lynch, lived alone for many years, would be submerged. Even more unfortunate, would be the submersion of the floor of Echo Park, the great reduction in the visible height of the nearly vertical sandstone walls of Echo Park which rise several hundred feet above the floor, the inundation of about one- half of Steamboat Rock, and partial obliteration of noteworthy folds and faults so strikingly revealed in this area. Split Mountain Dam and Reservoir.- A dam at the head of Split Mountain Canyon would detract materially from the geological and wilderness values of the entrance to the canyon. Construction operations would unavoidably cause some permanent scarring in the locality of the dam site. From the viewpoint of natural values, the Split Mountain Reservoir would adversely affect Little, Rainbow, and Island Parks. The cluster of islands in the river and the pleasant bottoms of brush, grasses, and fringing cottonwoods would be replaced by a large lake of three bays. The rushing river with its rapids and whirlpools in Whirlpool Canyon above Island Park would be replaced by a long, narrow body of still water. Figure 113.- Whirlpool Canyon- spurs of Wild Mountain at left; Zenobia Peak is the high point on skyline ( right); and Echo Park Dam site is in the narrow inner gorge. 198 |