Show Gigantic Lakes Rise G In Wild Utah Canyons Editors Editor's note This is another an other in a series of or See Sec Utah stories design designed c c 1 to 0 better acquaint with their home state These stories stor stor- Ics ies are prepared b by the Utah Tourist and Publicity Council Each week a different secor sector sector sec sec- tor or or subject will wUl be he fea fea- I T Tf f w o 0 gigantic manmade man lakes Jakes arc rising in the forbid forbidding din ding wilderness canyons canons of or Utah creating new boaters' boaters water skiers' skiers and fishermens fishermen's paradises for outdoor minded Americans FOLLOWING closure of the diversion tunnels at Flaming Gorge Dam in northeastern Utah last fall and Glen Canon Canyon Canyon Can Can- yon on Dam just dust below the Utah Utah- Arizona border U this s spring water from Irom the Green and Colorado Colorado Col Col- orado Rivers ers has hns begun backing backing backing back back- ing up into Utah's picturesque canyons forming Lake Powell Powell Pow Pow- ell and Flaming Gorge Reservoir Reservoir Reservoir Reser Reser- voir two of oC the largest manmade manmade manmade man- man made bodies of oC water in western western western west west- ern USA Flaming Gorge is alread already completed and power from its generators is scheduled to go goon goon goon on the line sometime this Ulis summer At Glen Canyon I workmen continue to place concrete on the huge foot high giant The They expect to top out the dam b by n mid mid- d. d summer The first power from its generators will be on the theline theline theline line by mid FLAMING Gorge Reservoir and Lake Powell are being featured in this weeks week's See Utah story because of their vast tourist potential according according accord accord- ing to D D. D James Cannon director di cli rector of or the Utah Tourist and Publicity Council Council- Both lakes are arc located in rugged wilderness wilderness wilder wilder- ness offering high adventure and pleasurable water sport to boaters who want to explore explore explore ex ex- the to man many side canyons and inlets now made accessible accessible sible b by the rising water Mr Cannon said As the Uw water atel climbs up the face of the two concrete dams temporary boat launching facilities fa far will be provided pro by the government go At Lake Powell now forming behind Glen Canon Canyon Canyon Can Can- yon on Dam the Uw National Park Sen Service ce has located these facilities facilities fa fa- at Kane Creek about 25 miles northeast of US U.S. Hiway Hi Hi- way 89 in Utah As the water rises and floods these facilities facile ties tics another temporary ramp will go into operation at Wahweap Wah Wan just off ore US U.S. 89 Permanent Permanent Perma Perma- nent launching facilities will not be in use until the water backs up far enough to inundate inundate date the ramps AT FLAMING Gorge the US U.S. Forest Service in Ashley National Forest has built two launching ramps just upstream upstream upstream up up- stream from Crom the Uw dam These are arc already in operation Later Later Lat Lat- er this spring flooded highways highways high high- ways was will be used as launching launching launch launch- ing ramps until the National Park Service can build permanent permanent perma perma- nent ones at Lucerne Valley During the peak run off the lakes will rise between two and five feet per day so boaters boaters boaters boat boat- ers are cautioned not to park park- cars or leave equipment at atwater's atwaters atwaters atwater's atwaters atwater's waters water's edge for Cor any length of oC time BEFORE THE end of the summer Lake Powell powen will vill have backed up miles into the Ule rugged little explored redrock redrock red redrock rock countr country of southern Utah from the government town of or Page Ariz to the little settlement at Hite Utah Eventually the lake will extend extend extend ex ex- tend miles up the Colorado River to the lie treacherous rapids rapids rapids rap rap- ids of Cataract Canyon Canon The lake will ill fill an area once classified classified clas clas- as the Uw least known most isolated and primitively ely beautiful beautiful beau beau- regions in America Within n days of the closure Ios' Ios re of the gates gales at Glen Can Canyon on tt water wa a ater ter tel had backed up to cover cover- the Crossing of the Fathers swallowing up forever the historic historic his his- tonic site where two Catholic priests the first white men menon menon menon on Utah soil crossed the Colorado Colorado Colorado Col Col- orado River Rivel in 1776 on their way to Santa Fe THE TILE LAKE had also moved to the mouth of the Escalante River named in honor of oC one of the thc leading priests and had begun moving up this tributary tributary tributary tribu tribu- tary as well as up the thc San SanJuan SanJuan SanJuan Juan River The lake has also walled up the mouth of or Kane Creek where the baptism scenes in the motion picture The Greatest Story Ever Told were recently filmed Water has also covered cred the camping shelf of Aztec Creek Creck present entrance to Rainbow Bridge National Monument Eventually water from Lake Powell will trill back up Aztec and Bridge Creeks to pass beneath beneath beneath be be- neath the massive arch of Rainbow Bridge the largest natural bridge in the world SOON americas america's boat e c r 1 Swill s swill swill will be able to take lake their craft within easy walking distance of the famous bridge and at nt high water mark will be able to walk on a floating walkway beneath the bridge itself Water from the time lake however however how how- ever will vill not touch the abutments abutments abutments abut abut- ments of the huge natural wonder and according to the US U.S. Geological Survey it will not weaken or impair the time bridge foundations in an any way LAKE POWELL is named in honor of John Wesley Powell Powell Pow Pow- ell eU government go explorer and surveyor who charted the course of the Ule Colorado River in 1869 and 72 1871 providing the thc first accurate and comprehensive compre descriptions of the canyons in the future lake bed It was Powell who named Glen after its picturesque and shaded glens and its quiet placid nature in contrast to the violence of Cataract Can Can- yon farther upstream Lake Powell will be much different from Crom its downstream sister Lake Mead c ev even v e n though the designs of or Hoover and Glen Canyon Dams ire arc somewhat similar Lake Mead containing acre feel feet of water fills a shaped Y-shaped basin basin basin bas bas- in of or dark-colored dark rock with comparatively gentle slopes LAKE LAIm POWELL on the Ule other other oth oth- er hand ultimately containing acre feel feet of water backs up into southern Utah's picturesque Can Canyon on Country Country Country Coun Coun- try into a land Jand of oC led red rock much of which has been unexplored unexplored un un- explored b by modern man When filled the lake will have 1800 miles of or shoreline winding into a myriad of canyons canyons can can- on the Colorado Escalante Escalante Esca Esea lante San Juan and Dirty Devil Dev il 1 Rivers with th innumerable fingers stretching up smaller tributary streams and draws some of which had been uncharted uncharted un un- un charted before construction of r the dam FLAMING Gorge Reservoir will back up some sonic 90 miles filling studded evergreen Red Canyon inundating the small smalltown smalltown smalltown town of Linwood and extending extending extend extend- ing nearly to the town of Green River Wyo Water skiing on the two new 1 reservoirs will be unequalled anywhere although in the early days of filling this sport spoil will be bc somewhat hampered because of limited access floating dri driftwood wood and other certain sections of both lakes will provide excellent water skiing from front the very begin begin- ning AND HOW will the fishing be At first possibly the tho only catch on Lake Powell will be small channel catfish native to the Colorado River However However er the Utah Fish and Game Department has already planted plant plant- ed quantities of salmon salmon salmon sal sal- mon fingerlings and beginning soon it will be cooperating with ith the Arizona Fish and Game Department and the US U.S. Department of Wildlife in planting five million rainbow rain rainbow rain rain- bow trout and two million bass Similar plans for stocking stocking stocking stock stock- ing Flaming Gorge with trout and other fish species are arc also under way Game biologists say the rainbow and will thrive in the Uw deep cold underwater underwater underwater under under- water can canyons ons of the lake and the bass in the shallower warmer channels The rainbows rainbows rain rain- bows will reach size by next year and the bass in two years BEFORE YOU go scooting off to Lake Powell or Flaming Flaming Flam Flam- ing tag Gorge with your boat trailer and water skis be sure you ou are arc prepared lest you ou find yourself stranded in the middle of one of oC the huge lakes out gas and without a paddle Tedd Tuttle supervisor of the lime boating division of the Utah State Park and Recreation lion Hon Commission said all aU boaters must comply with Utah boating regula t i ion o n s which arc are generally the same as the federal requirements in force in most states MAKE SURE your boat is in good condition Mr Tuttle said Bring Bling plenty of gas a tool kit and extra parts for your our motor Bring food water and other supplies as facilities facilities ties on the lakes will be limited limited lim Jim in the Ule early days of im int im The Thc boating supervisor also cautioned boaters to be very careful on the Ule reservoirs and to use common sense ense in their water sports In some places the lakes will be to GOO feet feel deep and swimming for forthe forthe forthe the most part w will II be hazardous hazai hazardous haz haz- ai dous unless in a designated J swimming area ALL BOATS on the time reservoirs reservoirs reser- reser must be registered under under under un un- der a federally approved numbering num num- bering s system stem which is in force in 43 of or the 50 states Boats will have a day 90 reciprocal reciprocal use of the reservoirs but after that time they must be registered in the state of Utah Under federal and md state stale boating regulations each boat must have a Coast Guard approved approved approved ap ap- ap- ap proved life saving device for each passenger All children 12 and under must wear proper prop prop- er fitting filling life jackets whenever whenever whenever when when- ever the boat is in operation This Tins is particularly important on the big reservoirs as access access access ac ac- ac- ac cess to the shore will be limited lim lim- tied Hed where the water is confined confined con con- fined in the sheer canyons ALL BOATS COATS operating at night must have running lights in compliance with Coast CoastGuard CoastGuard CoastGuard Guard standards Boats with in built-in fuel tanks or with closed type cabin construction and all inboards must also carry a minimum of or two- two pound dry chemical fire extinguisher extinguisher ex ex- or a pound 4 carbon dioxide extinguisher Also under state regulations each boat must carry a bail bucket a paddle or anchor and line a smoke bomb or orange orange orange or or- ange flag for daytime distress signal a flare or flashlight for night distress |