ANNUAL PRECIPITATION IN UTAH 



Over 40 inches I I 20 - 29 inches 

 30-39 inches I I Under 20 inches 



Figure 15. — Annual precipitation on the North Slope ranges from less than 12 

 inches to more than 40 inches. 



Lakes and streams are also an important recreational asset. About 400 lakes in the 

 North Slope are larger than 1 acre and there are about 600 miles of streams. The area is 

 close to the population centers of Utah, a short side trip off one of the main east-west high- 

 ways across the United States, and adjacent to the Flaming Gorge dam and reservoir. This 

 combination of factors promises to make it a heavily used area for outdoor recreation (fig. 

 16). A preview of what may happen is provided by the Flaming Gorge reservoir itself. Al- 

 though recreation facilities on this 91 -mile-long reservoir on the Green River were only 

 partly developed in 1964, at least 300,000 visits were made to the campgrounds, boat 

 ramps, and other facilities adjacent to this manmade lake in that year. Recreation oppor- 

 tunities are enhanced by the wildlife population. Like many other parts of Utah, this is 

 an excellent hunting ground for deer. 



Decisions on managing North Slope timber must take account of these other values 

 and the total land management operation. At present the land manager has only some broad 

 principles to guide him. Research has shown that the timing, quality, and quantity of water 

 flows can be influenced by the maimer of timber management.^ Nobody is in a position to say 

 precisely what this means in the way of the specifics of cutting and handling the timber in 

 the North Slope. More study will be needed to answer this question. However, there is 

 every reason to believe that some sort of positive timber management will be necessary as 

 part of water management on the North Slope, 



^Annual report, U. S. Forest Serv., Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Exp. Sta., 1961. 



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