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Show 7s: 40. In Utah, there is already a large quantity of flatwater /yj 4- for recreation. In terms of square footage of flatwater per capita, Utah rivals the Great Lakes states. The Great Salt Lake, Utah Lake, Flaming Gorge, Lake Powell, Bear Lake as well as many smaller irrigation reservoirs, provide Immense expanses of flatwater for recreational purposes. Much of it is also located close to metropolitan centers. On the other hand, Utah only contains 61.8 miles of Class I fishing streams and 450.9 miles of Class II fishing streams. * These are the streams which are termed "blue ribbon" trout streams. This is a fraction of the miles of high-quality streams that much less populous states, such as Montana, Idaho and Wyoming have. ** Utah has already lost 2,109 miles of former trout habitat or 2 8 percent of its trout habitat. *** CUP would seriously damage or destroy 11 percent of the small remaining amount of Utah's "blue ribbon" trout streams. **** The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources originally recommended 3 7,0 00 a f water to the affected streams until Governor Rampton proclaimed in 19 6 5 there would be no flows allowed for. For the portions of affected streams on National Forest lands, the Forest Service recommended 28,500 a f to sustain fisheries only at lowest water flow in winter. .. From an optimum flow of 90,000 a f in 19 63, the U.S.Fish and Wildlife Service now recommends 48,500 a f to sustain natural fishery 7~"porest Service Comments Related to the U.S. Department of Interior Bureau of Reclamation's Draft Environmental Statement", U.S. Forest Service, October 19 72, p. 2. ** The classification system used in these states is the same as that used in Utah and most other western states. *** Ibid., p.2. ***** Utah Department of Natural Resources, comments on Bonneville Unit Draft Environmental Statement, p. 76 of the Bonneville Unit Final Environmental Statement, Appendix A. |
