Page 21

Arizona Fishing Lakes The initial, immediate-action phase of fish and wildlife development for the Pacific Southwest Water Plan includes 50 fishing lakes to be constructed by the Arizona Game and Fish Department in connection with the Central Arizona Project. These 50 lakes, to be selected from a list of 89 which has been prepared by the Arizona Department, will provide 2,000,000 man-days of fishing, mostly for trout, to help satisfy the demand for angling. Based on the interim schedule for evaluating benefits adopted by the Inter-Agency Committee on Water Resources, these 50 fishing reservoirs, in providing 2,000,000 man-days of use, would produce annual benefits of $6,000,000. These reservoirs would be built by the Arizona Game and Fish Department with funds available to it. The cost for the dams and reservoirs would be about $350,000 each for a total of $17,500,000. In addition, $50,000 to $75,000 would be required at each one for roads, access facilities, parking areas, and the like. These costs likewise would be borne by the Arizona Department. The lakes would average 100 acres in size. They would be located in the higher elevations of central Arizona mostly in the yellow-pine forests of that area. None will be far from good roads. All will be within 200 miles of the Phoenix-Tucson population center and most will be within 100 miles. They will be managed and stocked with trout by the Arizona Game and Fish Department. Water to fill and maintain these fishing lakes would be supplied by the Central Arizona Project. It is proposed to allocate 60,000 acre-feet per year from project water sources for this purpose on a nonreimbursable basis. That is, the cost would be borne by the Federal Government and the water would be delivered without charge to the Arizona Game and Fish Department. This is in recognition of the wide spread outdoor recreation benefits of the lakes and also in recognition of the heavy investment by the state in these facilities. Most of the lake sites are beyond reach of the new water-conveyance system planned for the Central Arizona Project. In this circumstance where the intended use of water for the fishing lakes might be in conflict with established water rights, exchanges of water would be effectuated to provide, in effect, for Central Arizona Project water to supply these lakes. Detailed engineering surveys, currently under way, will make possible, when completed, definite selection of the sites for 50 fishing lakes to be included in the initial, immediate-action phase of the program. 21Epson Perfection 4870 Photo, 400 dpi, 8 bit, 16,023,552 byte