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<br />motorized boats of less than 10 horsepower and no more than 40 are <br /> <br /> <br />allowed on the lake at one time. The largest use of the reservoir is <br /> <br /> <br />fishing, from the shoreline and boat fishing. This activity compromises <br /> <br /> <br />approximately 80 percent of all uses of the reservoir. <br /> <br /> <br />Users are charged an entrance fee if the park is accessed by auto. <br /> <br /> <br />Walking visitors and bicycles are not required to pay an entrance fee. <br /> <br /> <br />There is no extra charge for bringing horses or horse trailers into the <br /> <br /> <br />park, and horse trails are provided. <br /> <br /> <br />In 1986, total visitation to the park was 142,400 visitors and since the <br /> <br /> <br />park opened in August, 1982, a total of 512,300 visits have been <br /> <br /> <br />recorded, with the visitations increasing each year. Although Bear <br /> <br /> <br />Creek Reservoir is not the most heavily used recreation area in the <br /> <br /> <br />state, its small surface area still supports a high visitor usage. The <br /> <br /> <br />visitation per surface area of water is compromible to Chatfield and <br /> <br /> <br />Cherry Creek Reservoirs, indicating heavy public use. <br /> <br /> <br />Two primary public benefits would be derived from implementation of <br /> <br /> <br />pollution control and lake restoration measures. First, the lake could <br /> <br /> <br />be used for primary body contact (swimming) which is not allowed due to <br /> <br /> <br />high levels of fecal coliform. Previous sampling has <br /> <br /> <br />shown bacteria levels exceeding state standards for swimming areas, <br /> <br /> <br />Improvements in the quality to meet the standards for primary contact <br /> <br /> <br />will increase reservoir usage by allowing public swimming. The City of <br /> <br /> <br />Lakewood intends to open a swimming beach in the future, but the use may <br /> <br /> <br />be impaired or lost if the bacteria levels are not controlled. Second, <br /> <br /> <br />fishing has been identified as the major recreational use of the <br /> <br /> <br />reservoir, The Colorado Division of Wildlife stocks the reservoir <br /> <br />25 <br />