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Show Antelope Island Visitors I Resident & Nonresident I , jfi, N N . j&yyybi yyy N x 2eot H nonresidents l Div. of Paries and Recreation I ' h bbbI Type or Sociology I 900 I ' XvvVav D families Jrss&K1 x s x x s . - - - yJv'vVVA S family & friend I "-' 15.00 mvvv;':: P group of friend I ' " OA-, ,yj 'tt'yy' m V Jy Div. of Parks & RccreaiionB HI bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb I V. I L I ' HI - - "T01 1 - - 3- - - ' Mm - i --- --j One of the most beautiful spots on Antelope Island is Elephant's Point. This photo was taken from a rocky overlook located across a small bay from the scenic point. No better way to see the Great Salt Lake than to visit historic Antelope Island The only access to Antelope Island at the present time is by boat. Pictured are Utah Park Service boats transporting members of the House Transportation Committee and the press to the island for a tour of existing facilities. Normally, these boats are used on Bear Lake. ty in this area into the city's boundaries. boun-daries. "To open a causeway in this area before the Syracuse one is reopened would not give the public access to the picnic areas and other developments," Christensen noted. "Eventually, we hope to open both causeways thereby capturing traffic from our two major freeway systems." Don Johnson, the engineer who designed the diking system that would be used for the proposed Lake Wasatch, feels there is still the opportunity to rebuild the Syracuse causeway. "The approach I would like to see take place is for ownership owner-ship of the causeway to be returned "When the causeway was finished over twenty years ago, something unexpected happened. The area south of the causeway in Farm-ington Farm-ington Bay started filling with fresh water. The level of the lake rose, and eventually the causeway was breached. It was observed at this time that the Farmington Bay water was supporting a blue gill popula- By DONETA GATHERUM ANTELOPE ISLAND STATE PAJRKOne of the last decisions the Utah State Legislature made was disappointing for Rep. Scott Holt, R-Syracuse and the many supporters of the Antelope Island causeway. It was four minutes before the conclusion of the legislative session when the senate struck $6 million from a bonding measure. This money would have enabled UDOT to rebuild the 7-mile Syracuse causeway access to Antelope Island. "We fought for the funding right up to the end," Mayor DeLore Thurgood of Syracuse said. "The sad thing was that two Weber County Coun-ty senators voted against the funding. fun-ding. That's what really hurt." Holt's proposal for rebuilding the causeway that was used by an estimated 428,000 visitors in 1982, the last year the island was accessible, accessi-ble, was to charge a $5 per vehicle fee for use of the causeway road. Of this amount, $3 would be used to pay for the rebuilding cost. The remaining re-maining $2, the normal amount charged for use of Utah State Parks, would go to the park development fund Using this system, the cost of rebuilding the causeway would have been repaid in eight years. Holt noted that the closure of the causeway has resulted in a considerable con-siderable economic loss to businesses busi-nesses in Davis County. The majority of visitors to the island were from out-of-state. Each carload of tourists visiting the island spends an average of $130 per dajroT about $12.5 million annually an-nually in Davis County communities. com-munities. Each carload of residents visiting the island would spend an average of $44 per day or about $1.7 million per year in Davis County communities. com-munities. Accc "ding to Holt and Jerry Miller, Utah State Parks Director, the Great Salt Lake is Utah's number two tourist attraction. "Although the causeway can't be used, we estimate that between 35,000 and 50,000 visitors have driven to the Syracuse causeway turnaround area during 1989. "What better way is there to see Great Salt Lake than to visit Antelope Island?" Miller asked. Thurgood was fearful that the defeat of Holt's causeway proposal might mean that any further development de-velopment of the island would come from the Salt Lake City end of the lake. "It seems that anytime anyone wants to move development away from Salt Lake City, the proposal pro-posal is defeated. I understand there is a group of businessmen in Salt Lake City right now that are pushing for the development of a causeway to Antelope Island from a point west of Salt Lake City," Thurgood stated. Jay Christensen, Utah Parks Operations Coordinator, said Salt Lake City recently annexed proper- l l I I MIIIII'H H'l'PH 1 f I rlrnr,rnrB,,BrnlBnrBrr rn n - - t r Jia.jj.a ja.a.aaii ajajaaaaiLa.ajaarj.arajjanaianrr r-T B ajLaaaiiJLirLaiaiaiin rjan -na-r- -n r nnaainnhn-a -- r- h- i- nJ-JhajaaajaaaaaaiB Bnt aLaHBh halaHaa4aHFarainiaraianraiaiaaba ra-ranh-hri ha-briTan4n aaiarihbrl4b4aJa aBaHhl FJ aTaa.aaTajbnaB llaarB B.B4 aan4-haB.LBj.i lb tbb TBBn4iBB r4-rB.nBBBBB4-rTBBnB--44-B4-l4-B-B4t4hP4--BrjBBBJBBnH 'Eve ntually, ve hope to open " LBib. 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BJ m LBB.BB.BB BB BBTBn4iBT- --TT44-44-BB LJBIBB.BBJ BB BB.BBIBBBB BB BBBIBB..BB.BJ BB BB.BB BBB.BB.B BBIBIBB.B4 b4t!t. n-t i BLBIBIL r B J B B T X nh-.-H-b B--...B.LBIBL4IB. LF-BJ--F.4-.r..F. .4-- BBLBILJBBBBJLJBBLBITBB ...BTBB-.4 BBT4-H bn4-B4 B44-. LB..BBIBB BBBIBBBIBTBB BBTBn4i44-h. bB4B4.b4-I4 B4Th.B4B-BB.B4-rB B.TbB - n4-...4 BB L..LLB.B FB.B4.L r .iBniB-TBnn-B-r-Th--... ,jBBiBiBBBBBinnBBiBnrBnJ4-Ln-BFLn4-Lrr--r-rB4-rn-n4-B - t - - n--4,JJF-J4,LlhBiBJ4iBLB ; maj o'rilreeway sys ternsl;i!:l;ll;;l j F - PaBBlBBBPBJBlBBYVBHIVBlHBBBlBBflVhVfl The Davis County Commission has refused to consider assuming the responsibility for opening the Syracuse causeway. Even though public access to the island has been denied until someone some-one comes up with a viable financing financ-ing scheme, the state parks department depart-ment is continuing to plan for the island's future. A 'Blue Ribbon" committee has developed a general management plan for island development. After more public imput, this will be followed up by a more detailed master plan. The feeling of this committee is that the best use of the island is for a nature park. The first phase of development could be an animal preserve. This would include continued management manage-ment of the buffalo and deer herds, plus the introduction of elk to the island and, possibly, the reintroduc-tion reintroduc-tion of antelope to the island. Development of an animal preserve means the natural grasses or forage would have to be firmly established. Much of this was destroyed during the time when the island was used for cattle and sheep grazing. Another possible development for the island is a "living history" park centered around the old George Frary ranch, which has been continuously inhabited since 1848. i The oolitic white sand beaches on the north end of the island are already partially developed with picnic areas, showers and a road system. The rise in lake waters damaged many of these facilities. Some restoration work still needs to be done on these beach improvements. im-provements. Long-range plans for the island might even include a resort park consisting of rustic lodging. Until someone comes up with a way to finance the causeway rebuilding, the state parks department depart-ment will try to maintain the status quo regarding its $4.5 million Antelope Island investment. "We'll watch the lake levels and continue to look at what is available and what other alternative might come up. This might include using some private vendors," Christensen concluded. - - to the county. As it now stands, UDOT states openly that they have no intentions, plans or funds to open a road to the island. Davis County could use their resources to accomplish ac-complish this purpose," Johnson claims. According to Johnson, the rebuilding of the Syracuse causeway is the first logical step in the creation of Lake Wasatch. I- I' tion, proving that Lake Wasatch could become an important recreation recrea-tion spot," Johnson said. The source of this fresh water is a system of artesian wells. The rise of Salt Lake water following 1983 disturbed this artesian arte-sian system, but Johnson believes that the restoration of this fresh water system goes in a seven-year cycle, and it will be renewed soon. ' 7 "I T! . J - A mm - . . . - . w. f k 1 , 'J J' - J , I I - . . ' . . rV ( L , V - jf -- r- " " - p,- bbH B BB BB .BBBBBBBIPBafafBlaBBlalalalalalalalalalalalalala r m ' " The rear portion of this ranch house, located on Antelope Island, is one of the oldest continuously continuous-ly inhabited structures in Utah. Future development of the island could include a "living history" museum based on the island's early history. Buffalo calves are separated from their mothers in the fall of each year. They are confined in a large, fenced area until the spring when they are freed to roam the island. The park service hopes this well-managed buffalo herd can be a future source of revenue for the state. |
