Issues Paper, Central Utah Project

Page 23

/6 i I "ROCK CI?£L£K Or\d I (iE£Hr •SftllvjOL'kr leaser voir i i Located approximately 31 air miles northwest of Duchesne, the dam will be a rockfill structure, with an asphaltic concrete membrane on the upstream face of the embankment. The reservoir will cover an area Iof about 340 acres at the top of active storage and 138 acres at minimum or inactive pool level. The reservoir is located in the high Uinta Mountains in an area which has a relatively short recreation season. (Long winters and high snows make the area accessable ]o_j]ian_only_during the late spring, summer and early fall (June through September usually). Operation of the ^reservoir calls for it to be kept full during these times of • he year when it is most accessable to man. With the "eservoir being full throughout the recreation season, sizeable_recreational benefits are anticipated. The INational Park Service predicted that the reservoir will eceive considerable use and that its recreational aspects will be of great significance. Since the Reservoir will experience extreme fluctuations during the •inter months, [isheries will be maintained at a minimal level, however, indicating that recreational activities will probably center around camping, hiking, •anoeing, etc. rather than fishing. • Rockfill will likely be obtained by quarrying from large massive layers of quartzite located on the east Ihore near the upstream end of the reservoir. The talus lopes on the east side of the reservoir, a short distance upstream from the damsite, and rock •)rmations located in the bottom of the reservoir basin Will be alternative sources of rockfill. Aggregate to be used in the asphaltic membrane will probably be abtained from deposits within Lower Stillwater eservoir Basin, approximately 8.5 miles downstream from Upper Stillwater Damsite. Translation One of the values attributed to Rock Creek was its primitive-character and access into the wild lands of the High Uintas Primitive Area. Recreation users here do not come here for purposes of flat-water fishing. If they sought this type recreation, it is already available at many other sites - on and off the mountain. Why the National Park Service is quoted as predicting the reser­voir will receive considerable use and its recreational aspects-will be of great significance, is unfathomable. This is on National Forest lands and the Forest Service has consistently opposed reservoir development on Rock Creek I No one questions that a reser­voir will receive increased use: if you put oats before a horse's nose, he'll eat that too! If you totally dewater a fishing stream, there will be no fish. Thus, recreation in such an area cannot include fishing! _ a Early-onrtgeologist stated that no dam and reservoir should be developed in Rock Creek.* Residents of Duchesne attest to seismic activity in this region since the 1920's. The most recent seismic activity was in September 30 - October >2, 19 78. . within a 25 mile radius of the proposed dam. The U.S.G.S. is making a study of these over 10 0 tremors. The proposed dam site has already been moved to a lower site. i 'A Bureau of Reclamation geologist