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Or;t.':;'7 . t...,Vi- . APPENDIXES TRIP REPORT PREPARED BY: JOHN HARDISTER Carey Dam Fish and Game Management Area (FW-3-L) - Colorado 1. Summary: On January 15, 1981, John Hardister accompanied wilbur Boldt, Bill Olmstead and Jim Young on a field review of the Carey Dam Fish and Game Management Area, project FW-3-L, located about 22 miles south of Las Animas, Bent County, Colorado. The project is also known as the Setchfield Lake property. The purpose of the trip was to ascertain if the property was being used for purposes for which it was acquired. Observations and conversations with project personnel indicate that project objectives are not wholly being met. Project use for fishery purposes disappeared when the dam broke in 1965 and when water rights acquired as a part of the project were subsequently transferred down- stream to John Martin Reservoir following a determination that repair of the dam would be cost prohibitive in relation to anticipated bene- fits. Project lands retained availablility for some wildlife pro- duction and public hunting. Additional hunting benefits were derived with the lease of project lands for grazing privileges in exchange for public hunting access on 940 acres of land owned by the Dean Land and Cattle Company. These two actions on the part of Divison, trans- fer of water rights and the leasing of project lands, were accomp- lished with out Federal Aid approval. Formal action should be taken to exchange project lands for other properties with commersurate fish and wildlife values and at current land market values. II. Project Objectives Being Met: The Preliminary Project Statement, approved ~n 1954, states that the project would provide a warmwater fishing lake, winter resting and feeding grounds for migratory water- fowl and controlled hunting of waterfowl and upland game birds and rabbits. Subsequently, between 1957 and 1965 a total of 2,438.03 acres were acquired with Federal Aid funds for a total cost of $40,463.55. Federal Aid funds amounted to a total of $30,347.66 at a ratio of 75 percent D-J and 25 percent P-R participation ($22,760.74 D-J and $7,586.92 P-R). Although variable from year to year, depen- dent upon rainfall and water use, the reservoir generally contained about 1,200 surface acres. Project values for fishery purposes, amounting to 75 percent of the total project, vanished in 1965 when the dam broke and was never reconstructed. Thus, project objectives for fishery purposes are not being met. With the disappearance of the reservoir, land use fer wildlife production and publiC hunting was affected to the extent that water was not available for waterfowl and waterfowl hunting. Other wildlife values and public hunting not dependent upon the reservoir were not directly affected. Thus, the land retained a part of the orginally stated value for wildlife production and hunting.