548 



Yearbook of Agriculture 1949 



rules and regulations vary somewhat 

 from State to State and even between 

 areas in the same State, but they are 

 based on the common welfare in each 

 case. It is also necessary for the ad- 

 ministrators to be eternally vigilant to 

 prevent accidents or sickness as far as 

 possible. To that end competent life- 

 guards are assigned to the beaches 

 during hours that swimming is al- 

 lowed; first-aid stations are main- 

 tained; water systems, swimming wa- 

 ters, and kitchens are given regular 

 inspections by health authorities ; every 

 effort is made to keep buildings clean. 



The States sometimes support minor 

 forested areas (minor only in that rec- 

 reation is less extensive) , such as park- 

 ways and waysides, at desirable loca- 

 tions along highways. These are small 

 areas of a few acres, and simple picnic 

 facilities, water, toilets, and parking 

 are generally all that is necessary. 



It is easy for any interested person 

 to get information about the State 

 parks and related areas in his State 

 or vicinity. Locations generally are 

 shown on road maps. The central park 

 authority, with only few exceptions, is 

 located in the capital of the State; 

 either he or the superintendent of any 

 park in the State will be glad to furnish 

 literature and information on request. 



SEVERAL FEDERAL AGENCIES, other 

 than the National Park Service, which 

 administer public lands, foster recrea- 

 tional use of areas that are suitable and 

 where interference with the primary 

 purpose of the areas is not serious. 



The Fish and Wildlife Service of the 

 Department of the Interior has de- 

 veloped limited recreational facilities 

 for day use and overnight camping in 

 a number of the national wildlife ref- 

 uges. These are largely for local use. 



Water-control projects of the Corps 

 of Engineers and the Bureau of Recla- 

 mation often present opportunities to 

 install various recreational facilities. 



The Tennessee Valley Authority has 

 recognized recreation as an important 

 collateral use of its chain of lakes on 

 the Tennessee River and its tributaries. 



Except for demonstration parks, how- 

 ever, it does not have authority to de- 

 velop and operate parks and recreation 

 areas, but cooperates with State and 

 Government agencies by leasing lands 

 for the purpose and by consultative 

 assistance. 



The reservoirs that are impounded 

 by the Bureau of Reclamation and the 

 Corps of Engineers are growing in im- 

 portance in the recreation program of 

 the country. People naturally want to 

 use these large bodies of water for 

 personal pleasure even though their 

 primary function of storing water for 

 irrigation, flood control, or power de- 

 velopment means a fluctuation in the 

 water level, which detracts from the 

 ideal for recreation areas. Fortunately, 

 the periods of greatest draw-down 

 often do not coincide with the time of 

 heavy recreational use. In such in- 

 stances, recreational developments are 

 included in over-all plans, their extent 

 and importance varying greatly with 

 such factors as accessibility, proximity 

 to other more desirable areas, char- 

 acter of topography, plan of reservoir 

 operation, and density of population 

 within a reasonable distance. Most of 

 these areas are of local importance 

 only, and are or will be administered 

 by the State or a political subdivision. 

 In arid or semiarid sections they may 

 loom large in the recreational picture, 

 however. Occasionally one of the reser- 

 voirs may be so located that it is of more 

 than local or regional significance. 



The Secretary of the Interior has 

 directed that the recreational features 

 of reservoirs in this category that are 

 constructed by the Bureau of Reclama- 

 tion shall be administered by the Na- 

 tional Park Service, unless they lie 

 within the boundaries of areas under 

 the jurisdiction of other Federal agen- 

 cies, such as the Forest Service, Fish 

 and Wildlife Service, and Bureau of 

 Indian Affairs. 



Recreational development at reser- 

 voir sites may consist of simple or elab- 

 orate facilities, depending on determi- 

 nation of development possibilities and 

 probable attendance. Nothing more 



