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<br />. ""---- <br />". '2.iL-~'.; <br /> <br />.' <br /> <br />~: <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />~, <br /> <br />.. <br /> <br />.. <br /> <br />For many decades, long before this region was created as a territory, <br /> <br />the Ute Indians camped at 'IWin Lakes. Spanish explorers knew of the <br /> <br />area and visited it. Trappers and mountain men took beaver and other <br /> <br />pelts from the vicinity and fished the lake for native trout. Rail- <br /> <br />road surveyors, as well as explorers visited the region in the late <br /> <br />40's, 50ls and 601s, while English sportsmen frequently made their <br /> <br />headquarters at the lakes and enjoyed the excellent fishing. There was <br /> <br />considerable mining in the area immediately below the proposed dam site <br /> <br />and there are mining sites along the entire route from the Arkansas to <br /> <br />the end of Lake Creek. According to the reservoir map much of this <br /> <br />area and its historical sites will be inundated, including the town <br /> <br />of Twin Laktls. <br /> <br />"It would be extremely difficult, since much of the <br />history involving this region left LPothin~ but scars, to do more than <br /> <br />chart the various sites as they now exist, and to make aerial photo- <br /> <br />graphs in order to preserve in exact relationship abandoned town sites, <br /> <br />the roads and trails, and the present community of Twin Lakes. Such a <br /> <br />composite photograph plus surface mapping wDuld fix permanently the <br />sites as they are now visible. <br /> <br />"Sugarloaf Rese,.voir . . . will cover the present <br /> <br />TurquoiBe Lake. This area was also one of the. heavily mined regions be- <br /> <br />fore and during the Leadville strike. The entire South Fork and Lake <br /> <br />Fork were mined and explored during the gold rush era. <br /> <br />The proposed <br /> <br />reservoir will inundate part of the roads and trails as well as several <br /> <br />cabin sites now in ruins, which date to the period of mining activity. <br /> <br />I should again recoremend aerial photographs so as to preserve the true <br /> <br />relationship of whatever evidences still exist of the period during <br /> <br />which thousands of miners and their families lived in this region." <br /> <br />12 <br />