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<br />2797
<br />
<br />Recreation
<br />
<br />The Fort Lyon Storage reservoirs, Horse Creek Reservoir (Timber Lake), Adobe Creek
<br />Reservoir (Blue Lake), and Thurston Reservoir, are already recreation resources of the Fort
<br />Lyon system and are administered by the Division of Wildlife under agreement with the Fort
<br />Lyon Company. The establishment of a state park at the Great Plains Reservoirs has been
<br />suggested, and the Lower Arkansas River Commission, appointed by the Governor, has
<br />investigated those options.
<br />
<br />The Division of Wildlife administers numerous State Wildlife Areas in the vicinity of the
<br />Fort Lyon Canal, including: Adobe Creek Reservoir, Holbrook Reservoir, Horse Creek
<br />Reservoir, John Martin Reservoir, Lake Henry, Las Animas Fish Hatchery, McClelland,
<br />Meredith Reservoir, Mike Higbee, Queens (Great Plains Reservoirs), Rocky Ford, Rocky
<br />Ford West, Thurston Reservoir, and Timpas Creek (south of the Arkansas River) (Colorado
<br />Division of Wildlife 1990).
<br />
<br />Division of Wildlife activities at these areas typically include fish stocking, habitat, boat
<br />ramps, and outhouse improvement. Counties may provide picnic tables, and other amenities
<br />in the areas. The Colorado Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation has in at least one
<br />instance made a grant for recreation development (at Holbrook Lake).
<br />
<br />The Division of Wildlife estimates fishing use as 12,000 user days per year at Adobe Creek
<br />Reservoir; 9,000 at Horse Creek Reservoir; and 1,300 at Thurston Reservoir (Krieger 1993).
<br />
<br />Recreation occurs at two federal sites in the Fort Lyon canal vicinity. The United States
<br />Army Corps of Engineers administers John Martin Reservoir for recreation, including the
<br />Lake Hasty recreation site just below the John,Martin dam. John Martin is known for its
<br />boating, fishing, water skiing, hunting, swimming, camping, picnicking, sightseeing, and
<br />recreational vehicle use. Fishing, camping and picnicking are the heaviest uses. Total visitor
<br />days were 836,000 in 1989, 683,000 in 1990 and 766,000 in 1991. Visitor use was down in
<br />1992 due to visitor concerns about plague and fecal coliform contamination in Lake Hasty
<br />(Sullaway 1993). Much of the land surrounding John Martin Reservoir is administered by
<br />the state Division of Wildlife, and is primarily used for duck hunting and fishing.
<br />
<br />Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site north of La Junta between the river and the canal
<br />attracted over 48,000 visitors in 1992, and has averaged 43,000 visitors annually (Vickers
<br />1992).
<br />
<br />Wildlife economic impact is estimated at direct expenditures of $2.8 million in Bent County
<br />and $2.5 million in Otero County, with total economic impact estimated at $5.0 million in
<br />Bent County and $5.6 million in Otero County (Frick and Steicker 1990b).
<br />
<br />The LARC November 16, 1992 Draft Plan for the Great Plains State Park at pp. 3-4 notes
<br />that:
<br />
<br />A4-20
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