OCR Text |
Show About 2,000 acres of winter habitat for pheasants would remain as it is. Spawning areas within the bay would remain usable for this purpose, except when limited by excessive drawdown. When Utah Lake is drawn down during present operating conditions, the bay area is left almost dry. This drawdown leaves stagnant ponds which result in mosquito- producing areas. Also, when the lake recedes, repugnant odors are given off by the bay area. Access into the bay area is now very limited. Automobile access to the bay area is by private right- of- way to selected points around the bay, and travel within the bay is limited to boats when water levels are high or to walking when water levels are low. This problem limits the sportsman's use potential in this area. Hobble Creek runs through Springville and frequently floods areas of the town during periods of high flows. With the Provo Bay development, facilities were planned to convey these flood flows around the Provo Bay, intercepting Hobble Creek with the bypass canal. Without the Provo Bay development, these flood- bypass features would not be constructed, and Springville and the Hobble Creek channel would still be subject to flooding. Recreational, picnicking, and boating facilities planned for the Provo Bay area would not be constructed under the alternative of nondevelopment of the bay. Development of Provo Bay would reduce evaporation saving about 29,000 acre- feet of water annually, of which about 22,000 acre- feet would be used for irrigation of the new agricultural lands in the bay area under the proposed plan. The remainder of the evaporation savings would be available for other Bonneville Unit water uses. Therefore, elimination of the Provo Bay development would result in a net loss of about 7,000 acre- feet of Bonneville Unit water intended for municipal and industrial use or for new irrigation in the Mosida area. Proposed Plan With Nondevelopment of Utah Lake ( l) Description of the Alternative This alternative would be the proposed plan without the development of Utah Lake and associated features. When this alternative is compared to the proposed plan, the effects of adding Utah Lake development to the plan may be determined. When compared to the previous alternative, " Proposed Plan With Nondevelopment of Provo Bay," the effect of adding Goshen Bay Dike to the plan may be determined. 560 |