Show I I 3 9 GIGANTIC LAKES LAUES RISE KISE Ii IN UTAH CANYONS CANTONS Editors Editor's note notes This is another another an an- other In a series of See Utah stories designed to better acquaint ac ac- quaint with their home state These stories are prepared prepare ed by the Utah Tourist and Publicity Publicity Pub Council Each week a different sector or subject will willbe willbe be featured Fishermans Fisherman's Paradise Two gigantic man-made man lakes are rising In the forbidding wilderness wilderness wild erness canyons of Utah creating new boaters' boaters water skiers skiers' and fishermens fishermen's paradise for tor outdoor outdoor- minded Americans Following closure of the diver direr elon slon tunnels at Flaming Gorge Dam in Utah last fall end and Glen Canyon Dam just below the Utah Arizona border this spring water from the Green and Colorado Rivers Rivera has begun backing up into Utah's picturesque canyons forming I f Lake Powell and Flaming Gorge I Reservoirs two of ot the largest man-made man bodies of ot water in western USA U.S.A. Flaming Gorge is already completed completed com com- and power from Its generators generators generators gen gen- is scheduled to go on the theline theline theline line sometime this summer At AtGlen AtGlen AtGlen Glen Canyon workmen continue to place concrete on the huge I foot toot high giant They expect to top out the dam by mid mid- summer The first power from its generators will wUl be on the line by mid 1964 Flaming Gorge Reservoir and Lake Powell are being featured in this weeks week's See Utah story because of ot their vast tourist potential potential potential pot pot- according to D D. D James Jame Cannon director of ot the Utah Tourist and Publicity Council Both lakes are located in rugged wilderness offering high adventure adventure ture and pleasurable water sport to boaters who want to explore the many side canyons and inlets I Inow now made mad accessible by the rising water tater Mr Cannon said I Isolated Region As the water climbs up the face of the two concrete dams I temporary boat launching facilities facilities ties will be provided by the gov gov- At Lake Powell now forming behind Glen Canyon CanyonDam CanyonDam Dam DalD the National Park Service I Ihas has ihas located these facilities at Kane Creek about 25 miles north- north est of US U.S. Highway 89 In Utah As the water rises and floods these facilities another temporary temporary tempore ary ramp will wUl go Into operation I. I at Wahweap Just off ott US U.S. 89 Permanent Permanent Per Per- manent launching facilities will not be in use until the water backs up far enough to inundate the ramps At Flaming Gorge the US U.S. Forest Service in Ashley National Forest has built two launching rampa ramps just upstream from the dam These are already in opera tion Later this spring flooded highways will be used as launching launch launch- lag ing ramps until the National Park Service can build permanent perman ent eat ones at Lucerne Valley During the peak run off the launching Boat-launching facilities arc are I provided by the National Park Service at Kane Iane Creek Utah on massive Lake Powell now forming behind Glen CanyonDam CanyonDam Canyon Dam lakes Inkoo will rise between two and five feet teet per day so boaters are cautioned not to 1 park ark cars or leave equipment at waters water's edge for any length of time Before the end of the summer Lake Powell will have backed up miles into the rugged little little- explored rock red-rock country of Southern Utah Utah from the government government gov gov- town of ot Page Arizona to the little settlement at Utah Eventually lly the lake will ex tend miles up the Colorado River to the treacherous rapids of ot Cataract Canyon The lake will fill an area once classified as the least-Known least most Isolated and primitively beautiful regions in America Within days of the closure of the gates at Glen Canyon water had backed up to cover the Crossing of ot the Fathers swallowing swallowing swallowing lowing up forever the historic site where two Catholic priests the first white men on Utah soil crossed creased the Colorado River In 1776 on their way to Santa Fe II Priests First on Utah Soil Soli The lak lake had lad also moved to the mouth of the Es EsCalante River named in honor of one of the leading priests and had begun moving up this thle tributary as well as up the San Juan River The lake has also swallowed up the mouth of Kane Creek where the baptism scenes In the motion picture The Greatest Story Ever Told were recently filmed Water n h. h has also aso covered the I n camping shelf shelt of ot Aztec Creek present entrance to Rainbow Bridge National Monument Eventually Eventually Even Even- water from Lake Powell will back up Aztec and Bridge I Creeks to pass pass' beneath the massive massive mas mas- sive lve arch of Rainbow Bridge the largest natu natural al bridge in the world Soon Americas America's boaters will be able to take their craft within easy walking distance of the famous bridge and at high highwater highwater highwater water mark will be able to walk on a floating walkway beneath the bridge Itself Water Vater from the lake however will not t touch uch the abutments of the huge natural wonder and according cording to the US U.S. Geological Survey It will not weaken or Impair impair impair im Im- im- im I pair the bridge foundations in any way Lake Powell is la named in honor honorof of ot John We Wesley ley Powell government government govern govern- ment explorer and surveyor who charted the course of ot the Colorado Colo Colo- rado River In 1869 and 72 1871 providing the first accurate and comprehensive descriptions of ot the canyons in the future lake bed It was Powell who named Glen Canyon after atter its picturesque pictures pictures- que and shaded glens and its quiet placid nature in contrast to the violence of Cataract Canyon Canyon Canyon Can Can- yon farther tarther upstream Lake Lako Powell Lake Powell will be much different dif dit ferent from its downstream slater sister Luke Lake Mead even though the de de- designs signs of ot 1 r ov and Glen Canyon Can yon Dams are somewhat similar Lake Mead containing acre feet teet of ot water fills lille a a. Y Y-shap ed basin of ot dark-colored dark rock v with ith comparatively gentle slopes Lake Powell on the other hand ultimately containing acre toot feet of ot water backs up Into Into In to Southern Utah's picturesque Canyon Country into a land of ot otred red rock much of ot which has been unexplored by modern man When tilled filled the lake will have 1800 1500 miles mlle of ot shoreline winding into a f myriad of ot canyons on the Colorado Escalante San Juan and Dirty Devil Rivers with Innumerable innumerable innumerable in In- numerable fingers stretching up smaller tributary streams and draws some of ot which had bad been uncharted before construction ot of the tha dam Flaming Gorge Reservoir n will back bad up some 0 miles filling studded evergreen Red Canyon CanTon inundating the small town of ot Linwood Lin Lin- wood and extending nearly to tIe tle town of ot Green River Wyom ing lug Water Skiing Water skiing on the two new reservoirs will be unequaled any any- where here although in the early days of filling tilling this sport will be somewhat some somewhat what hampered because of ot limited limit limit- ed access floating driftwood and other surface However How ever certain sections of both lakes will provide excellent water skiing from the very beginning And how will wUl the fishing be I At first possibly the only catch catich on Lake Lako Powell will be bo small channel catfish native to the I Colorado River However the Utah Fish and Game Department has already planted quantities ot of salmon almon fingerlings and andI I beginning in May it will be cooperating cooperating co co- co operating With the Arizona Fish and Game Department and the US U.S. Department of ot Wildlife In I I planting five million rainbow I trout and two million b bass ss Simi Similar liar bar lar plans for stocking Flaming Gorge with trout and other fish species are also under way I Game biologist say the rainbow rainbow rain rain- bow and kokane will thrive inthe in inthe I the deep cold underwater canyons canyons can can- an of the lake and the bass inthe in inthe inthe the shallower warmer channels The rainbows will reach size by next year and the basSIn bass bassin bassin in two years I Before you go scooting ot off to Lake Powell or Flaming Gorge i with your boat trailer and water I skis be sure you are prepared lest you find yourself stranded In the middle of ot one of ot the huge lakes out out-of out gas gas and nd without a paddle Tedd Tuttle supervisor of ot the boating division of ot the Utah I State t Park ar and nd Recreation erea n Com Com- I mission said all boaters must comply with Utah boating regulations regulations re reo re- re I which are generally the I same as the federal requirements in force torce in most states I Warning to Boaters I Make sure your boat is In good I condition Mr Tuttle said I Bring plenty of ot gas gag a tool kit and extra parts for tor your motor i Bring food tood water and other supplies supplies sup sup- plies as facilities on the lakes lakeS lakeS' will be limited in the early days I of The boating supervisor also cautioned boaters to be very careful care ful tul on the reservoirs and to use useI common sense in their water I sports In some places the lakes I will be to feet teet deep and I II I swimming for tor the most part will wUl iT I aI f K s YM r Yap wa Boats now speed over the surface of placid Lake Powell at ai Crossing of the Fathers I where two Catholic priests I crossed the Colorado River In 1776 be hazardous unless in a de signaled swimming area area I All boats on the reservoirs must moot be registered under a fed fed- approved numbering system tem tern which is Ie In force torce in 43 ot of the 50 states Boats will have a 90 day reciprocal al use of ot the re reservoirs reservoirs reser reser- er but after that time they must be registered in the State o ot of Utah Under federal and state boating regulations each boat must have havea a Guard Coast life bite saying saving sav say ing device for tor each passenger All AU children twelve and under must moot I I wear proper fitting life Ute Jackets whenever the boat is in opera opera- tion This is particularly Important Import import- ant on the big reservoirs as access to the shore will be limited where I the water is confined In the sheer canyons All boats operating at night must have running lights in compliance compliance com com- with Coast Guard standards stan dards dard Boats with built in fuel fuei tanks or with closed cabin type cabin type I construction and all Inboards I must also carry a minimum ot of two pound dry chemical l fire tire extinguisher extinguisher ex ex- ex or a pound 4 carbon dioxide extinguisher Also under state regulations each boat must carry a bail bucket a paddle or anchor andI and line a smoke bomb or orange I flag for tor daytime distress signal a flare or flashlight for tor night distress dis dis- tress |