OCR Text |
Show Chapter 2 Watershed Characteristics and Uses and interstate traffic. Recreation uses include picnicking, golf, hiking, snowshoeing, cross country skiing, snowmobiling and hunting. The Salt Lake City Parks and Recreation Department and Public Utilities provide developed recreation, including golf and picnicking. A private concession at the Mountain Dell Golf Course provides cross country skiing during the winter season. The existing picnicking facilities in Parleys Canyon currently provide a total of 80+ person capacity. On weekends and holidays, parking areas limit capacity for cross country skiing. Salt Lake City Department of Public Utilities has developed a recreation plan for the Little Dell Dam and Reservoir. Recreation is occurring on 39 acres of land on the north side of the reservoir. The development includes 130 parking spaces, two boat launches ( non- motorized, hand- carried watercraft), six vault restrooms, 56 picnic sites, and a small interpretive center. Several trails are constructed around the reservoir, totaling 19,400 linear feet of trails. Trails are built for a variety of uses including walking, biking, and hiking, and a hardened trail for universal access. Most of the recreation homes in Parleys Canyon were constructed before 1975. In 1975, there were 83 cabins in Lambs and Mount Aire canyons; by 1995, the total had increased to 112 cabins. Traffic in Parleys Canyon has increased noticeably since 1989, when Interstate 80 at the Mountain Dell interchange reported an annual daily traffic of 23,975. In 1996, the Mountain Dell interchange reported an annual daily traffic of 37,125. This difference represents an increase of 55 percent over an eight- year period. E. Millcreek Canyon Physical and Hydrologic Conditions: Millcreek Canyon comprises 18.0 square miles of drainage area with head waters originating about 10 miles above the canyon mouth at 8,700 feet elevation. Canyon ridge elevations typically range from 8,000 to 9,000 feet, with Gobbler's Knob rising to 10,200 feet. Surface flows originate from Millcreek, Porter Fork, and Bowman Fork canyons. The canyon's steep side slopes, moderately heavy snowpack, and high elevations are responsible for the late average peak flow date of May 27. Flows remain relatively high throughout August, then decrease in the fall and winter. Flows gradually increase throughout late winter and early spring. The stream has an average annual yield of 10,762 acre- feet, the fifth highest yield in the plan area. |