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Show Freshwater Farmington Bay discussed as alternative to Lake Wasatch Proposal By JOHN W. CANNON FARMINGTONThe Great Salt Lake Development Authority postponed disbanding at least until after its Aug. 21 meeting. The Authority, Au-thority, which was set up to study the feasibility of the Wasatch Lake proposal, had threatened to disband at last week's meeting since a number of its members have already decided that they don't like the idea. At stake are approximately 3,000,000 acre feet of freshwater lost into the Great Salt Lake each year. The Lake Wasatch proposal would preserve these waters in the eastern one-third of the Lake. Due to stiff opposition from special interest groups around the lake, namely minerals, brine shrimp and Bear River waterfowl people, the Authority has pretty well decided decid-ed that the plan is undesirable. The Authority is now considering smaller fresh water proposals for Farmington Bay, although their legal authority to do so was questioned. ques-tioned. The point was made that the bill passed creating the Authority specifically refers to studying the feasibility of Lake Wasatch and that Farmington Bay is not mentioned. Louis Cooper of the Davis County Coun-ty Environmental Health Department Depart-ment testified before the Authority that the water quality of the proposed propos-ed fresh water lake would be like that of Willard Bay Reservoir. He also stated that there would be no great algae blooms. "Existing species are using the nutrients. I testify to you that the fresh water lake would not stink,' said Cooper. Lloyd H. Austin, chief of Inventories Inven-tories and Special Studies for the Division of Natural Resources, discussed the feasibility of a Farmington Farm-ington Bay fresh water reservoir. Austin claimed that neither the Farmington Bay Proposal or the Wasatch Lake Proposal would have water quality sufficient for normal freshwater uses. The Farmington Proposal would use the Syracuse Causeway as its northern dike. "All these people claim that the water quality would be terrible, but nobody really knows for sure what it would be like," said Cooper in a post meeting interview. "We feel that Farmington Bay could be managed as a fresh water lake and that it would be of sufficient quality CONTINUED ON PG. 2 " ' ' y- ! I I t .4v- n ! m - Louis Cooper, left, is the Water Quality Program Manager for Davis County Environmental Health. Dr. Michael Miner, right, is the Director of Water Quality for the Weber Basin Water Quality Quali-ty Management Council. The two testified before the Great Salt Lake Development Authority that they felt a freshwater Farmington Bay would be feasible and that water quality would be similar to Willard Bay Reservoir. Lake Wasatch CONTINUED FROM PG. 1 to support fishing and other freshwater activities,' he said. The shallower parts of the lake could be managed as freshwater marshes and would provide a great filtering effect on the water coming into the lake," Cooper continued. "Regardless of what happens with the freshwater proposals, the Syracuse causeway will probably be rebuilt, and it will alter the environment en-vironment of the Farmington Bay portion of the Great Salt Lake. If no water control systems are built into the causeway, Farmington Bay will become only partially fresh, said Cooper. "The lake either needs to be managed as totally fresh or totally salty, otherwise it will be good for neither. To manage the quality of the water variable outlets would need to built into the causeway. Then Farmington Bay could be managed as freshwater to determine its actual behavior as a freshwater lake. This would put to rest these proposals once and for all. If it didn't work out the outlets could be completely opened and the lake re turned to its original salty condi tion. My biggest fear is that the Legislature will approve the rebuilding of the causeway without any consideration for the water quality of Farmington Bay," sajd Cooper. Since Davis County residents will be most affected by the outcome, out-come, Cooper felt it important that Davis County have some type of voice in determining the water quality. For this reason the the Great Salt Lake Authority agreed to have Cooper present recommendations recommenda-tions at the August meeting. |