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<br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br /> <br />OD3185 <br /> <br />dormant during the winter months and become verdant again during the summer as treated <br />wastewater is added. These natural systems have no moving parts and require little maintenance. <br />CSP has found that these constructed wetland systems have been used by waterfowl at other state <br />parks and do not produce any negative impacts on either the environment or on park users. <br /> <br />2.1.3 Alternative No.3: South Beach Alternative: Same as Alternative 2 with the addition that <br />the Colorado Department of Natural Resources will be responsible for furnishing garbage <br />collection, portable sanitation, and law enforcement on the South Beach area leased by <br />them from the Corps. No user fees will be charged to South Beach users. <br /> <br />The Colorado Department of Natural Resources would manage the area known as South <br />Beach and would provide law enforcement and visitor safety services as needed or requested by <br />the Corps and Bent County Sheriff's Department. <br /> <br />The Colorado State Parks proposal did not include the management of the South Beach <br />(Figure 2), which is currently included in the Corps' existing lease to the Colorado Division of <br />Wildlife for wildlife conservation. Although the South Beach has no facilities, when reservoir <br />levels are lower the area does provide an extensive sandy beach. The South Beach receives a <br />rather significant and increasing amount of use during the summer months, especially during the <br />Memorial Day and July 4th holiday weekends when one to two thousand recreational vehicles <br />with an accompanying population that may reach as high as 6,000 people (Mark Stark, <br />Operations Manager, John Martin Project, pers, comm.) occupy the area, When water levels <br />approach conservation pool levels (3,751 ft. MSL), available above-water camping areas of the <br />South Beach are on the property of the Burlington Northern/Santa Fe Railroad Co. When water <br />levels rise to this stage, efforts by the Corps and CDOW to manage recreation activities and <br />provide law enforcement are confounded. <br /> <br />Colorado Division of Wildlife (CDOW) is concerned with the Colorado State Parks' <br />proposal (Alternative No.2). CDOW believes that if Colorado State Parks restricts access and <br />charges users at Sandstone and Overlook Recreation Areas, recreational use will significantly <br />increase in the South Beach area, where no user fees would be charged and where there is no <br />development or ability to accommodate the increasing patronage of the area. Both Colorado <br />Division of Wildlife and the Corps are aware of, and for numerous years have been concerned <br />about, the existing and potential problems associated with the increasing recreational use as well <br />as with the increasing weekend and holiday-use of the South Beach area. Current problems and <br />concerns include unattended campfires, unleashed pets, refuse/trash dumping, illegal dumping of <br />gray-water and sewage by recreational vehicles, potential for accidents involving jet skies, <br />motorcycles, and all-terrain vehicles, and with fireworks and alcohol consumption. With either <br />Alternatives two or three, Colorado State Parks will offer the use of a newly constructed dump <br />station just north of the Lake Hasty campground to all RV users free of charge to mitigate <br />potential sewage dumping on the South Beach. Under Alternative I, the Corps currently is <br />offering the same free service to all R V users. <br /> <br />If the Colorado Department of Natural Resources assumed the management of the South <br />Beach area (Alternative 3), benefits to the South Beach area would include an increased on-site <br /> <br />18 <br />