OCR Text |
Show Freshwater Farmington Lake Proposal has greater support l n r i - - - i ni Pl fcfa Pk .in rri r - - i i i M iiiiir PL Ku PJ J J iriL J L L IJI JJJ I - - T I I - J Bll " X Great Salt Lake nl vV:'v-'-r---,:' ,T& r LI I L L L I - - L iLriL r r - r nrir - j ""'h pj ' " t"i By JOHN W. CANNON WASATCH FRONT - Since the Syracuse causeway to Antelope Island is going to be rebuilt anyway, the cost of creating a freshwater Farmington Lake would be minimal and many scientists, politicians and Davis County residents support the idea. Louis Cooper of the Davis County Coun-ty Environmental Health Department Depart-ment testified to the Great Salt Lake Development Authority that the water quality of a freshwater Farmington Farm-ington lake would be similar to Willard Bay Reservoir and would be suitable for freshwater uses and activities. Cooper discounted claims that heavy metals in the water and lake bed were sufficient to cause health risks. A freshwater Farmington Lake would have many advantages over the Lake Wasatch proposal. First of all, the special interest groups in the north, the Bear River Bird Refuge, minerals and brine shrimp industries who all oppose Lake Wasatch would be relatively unaffected by a Freshwater Farmington Farm-ington Lake. Secondly both of the dikes needed need-ed to create a Freshwater Farmington Farm-ington Lake are going to be built anyway as roadways to Antelope Island. Other considerations that should be looked at are the canals that already exist that could bring excess SEE FARMINGTON B-2 A fresh water Farmington lake would use the Antelope Island sNUiCtty causeways for its dikes. The lake would be relatively inexpen- sive and would provide tremendous advantages for Davis 1 cupper Graphics by Marty Lee County residents. LhiihiJ r FARMINGTON CONT. FROM B-1 water from the Weber and Ogden rivers to Farmington Lake. Local weatherman Mark Eubank is thrilled with the Idea. "I think a freshwater Farmington lake would be a tremendous economic boon for Davis County." With the tourism, freshwater activities and water storage that the lake would provide, along with its low price tag, a freshwater Farmington Lake has become a very attractive and feasible feasi-ble idea. Steve Smoot, an at large member of the Great Salt Lake Authority, is very much in favor of the lake and believes that the water quality would be high enough for possible culinary use. "This is probably one of the greatest untapped resources in the State. I would be very sad to see nothing done. It would not be in the best interest of Utah or Davis County. There needs to be some kind of freshwater Farmington Bay or Reservoir," said Smoot. |