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<br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />/ <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />..1 n..........' <br />l~J"': <br /> <br />recreation season; however, southern breezes are not uncommon. <br />The summers are usually warm and windy with about 70 percent of <br />the days having sunshine, while evenings are mostly cool and <br />pleasant. <br /> <br />According to the 1960 census, about 80,000 people live within a <br />50-mile radius of the reservoir. However, the zone of recreation <br />influence of the reservoir will extend beyond that limit, especially <br />to the southwest, and will include part of the Denver metropolitan <br />area. <br /> <br />Since the landscape at the Narrows site is typical of eastern <br />Colorado and has no outstanding scenic attractions, the construction <br />of the reservoir would provide a definite place of interest in <br />this locality. The large body of water and its shores are of <br />sufficient scale to enhance the existing natural conditions. <br /> <br />No actual remains of important historical features were found on <br />a preliminary reconnaissance of the area. However, this section <br />of the South Platte Valley is rich in frontier lore, particularly <br />relating to the emigrant road to Denver, the gold fields of <br />Colorado, early communications to Denver, and conflicts with <br />aroused Indian Tribes. The discovery of gold in 1858 and the <br />hostility of Indians on northern routes caused the main axis <br />of emigrant travel to swing from the north to the South Platte <br />route, known as the Overland Trail. In 1859 a stageline was <br />established to new Denver and the mining towns. Overland Route <br />stage stations, in the vicinity of the reservoir site, were at <br />the mouth of Bijou Creek and Fremont's Orchard opposite the <br />present railroad station in Orchard. During the Sioux-Cheyenne <br />uprising of the 1860's, Fremont's Orchard was a hotly contested <br />point. <br /> <br />An archeological survey of the Narrows Reservoir area was made <br />by the Smithsonian Institution in 1950. The survey uncovered <br />four campsites in the impoundment area, and subsequent investi- <br />gations by the University of Colorado have discovered sites <br />important enough to warrant further excavation. <br /> <br />On the basis of evidence from nearby regions, it does not appear <br />that important paleontological remains will be found in the <br />reservoir area. Investigations should be made before dam <br />construction. <br /> <br />7 <br />