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f' ~ , 00 -' r ~ J Wildlife Benefits Resident and migratory wildlife in the Lake Mead National Recreation Arca and elsewhere along the lower Colorado River also benefited from Hoover Dam's construction. The reservoirs formed by Hoover and other lower Colorado River dams pro- vide excellent habitat for game fish and favorable conditions for their propaga- tion. In addition. they serve as huge waterholes for mountain sheep and other wildlife of adjacent mountain and mcsa uplands. The munmadc lakes act as sanctuaries for such waterfowl as the pintail, mal]ard, Canada goose, and snow goose, for wading birds like the egret and blue heron, and for many varieties of sandpipers. And water-loving birds arc not the only fowl to profit. More than 250 species of birds have been counted within the boundaries of Lake Mead National Recreation Area alone. Hunting and trap- ping are allowed in the area, subject to applicable Federal, State, and local laws. The upper pal1 of the Bill Williams arm of Lake Havasu and most of the large marsh areas extending above the reservoir are included in the Havasu National Wildlife Refuge. The reltlge is located on a flyway of transient and migratory waterfowl, and is heavily used on a seasonal basis by migratory birds. The endangered Yuma Clapper Rail and marsh and wading birds are also present here. Hydroelectric Powcr-Strength of the West A major bcnefit of Hoover Dam. patticu]arly in the Southwest. is the pollution-free, low-cost e]ectrical cncrgy generated at the stmcture. From America's carliest days, the West has lured the Nation's expanding popula- tion. Growth and development have been more rapid than in any other part of our country. This is pmticularly true for Arizona, southern Nevada, and southern California - these states experienced a 36 " ,.. ''I 'IF, ,,:..,.. . _Em,.., WildlIfe such as t/le desert biRhorn sheep are pll'lltiju/ ill rhe Lake Mead National Recreation Area. population expansion from 1960 to 1980 that was unmatched by any other section of the Nation. This growth, begun in the] 920's, was aided by Reclamation projects that made power available to stimulate the West's economy. Intensive agricultural development and rapid increases in population in the Southwest have required an assured water supply beyond what underground resources could provide. Power also was needed to assure continued progress. During the decade-and-a-half preceding the passage of the Boulder Canyon Project Act, electrical energy use in southern California increased three times as rapidly as in the rest of the United States. Fishing at Lake Mead is a year-round sport.