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Show Heavy Rains Flood Forest Roads "And the rains came and tho water rushed in torrents upon the parched land, leaving its mark upon the roads, in the fields, and on the sides of the mountains." According ' to James Applegate, construction and maintenance foreman for tho Dixie National Forest, the rains certainly did come to tho forested land in Southern Utah, and deep hiarks were left, especially on the forest roads. Crews of men with heavy power machinery have been vigorously working this past week unplugging clogged culverts and cleaning up an enormous amount of debris left by the re-cent storms. Men aro working on the Corn-Creek-Stump Spring Forest Road No. 402 just west of Escalante, This is only one of a number of roads which have felt tho wrath of excessive rains and floods. Anothet Forest Service crew Is work- Hanger Don Strang and Malt-land Spencer check on culvert that Is almost blocked by dc-dris. Otto lloundy Is working the tractor. AH arc from Escalante. ing on the Pangultch Lake-Pa-ragonah road and the Duck Creek-Hatch road, clearing off large boulders and drift wood, grading the roads, and cleaning out culverts. It was stated by Mr. Apple-gate that tho flood damage has been holding up the work of the Utah State Fish and Game projects where work has been in progress to raise the levels of the dams on the many lakes just head of North Creek, on Forest Road No. 407 west of Escalante. A road maintenance crew from the Dlxlo National Forest Is moving into this area immediately. During the last few days, an extensive Inspection tour has been made throughout tho Dixie National I'orest In ord- , -A er to determine the extent of damago caused by the storms and then to take Immediate steps to make all roads, diteh-es, and culverts serviceable again. It should be reassuring to all deer hunters that Mr. Applegate promised that a comprehensive survey is being made of all roads on the Dixie National Forest which are used by hunters and that his maintenance crews will constantly work to have them open and travcllable by 'the time of the big hunt. At the present, a number of theso rather Isolated and seldom used roads have been completely cut off by flood waters. It is also encouraging to both Forest Service personnel and many visitors to Dixie Forest to learn that an inspection of the roads on the forest west of Pangultch and east of Cedar City reveals that at the present there has been Very little flood damago In this area. 40 |