UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
FOREST SERVICE Logan Ranger District P.O. Box 448 Logan, Utah 84321 December 20, 1979
Ms. Marta Tollerup
P.O. Box 3561
Logan, Utah 84321
Dear Ms. Tollerup:
Your letter of November 24, 1979 on the realignment of the Logan
Canyon Highway has been referred to our office by the Branch Chief
of Recreation.
In reply to your questions:
There would be changes in the China Row picnic site, Woodcamp
campground, Cottonwood picnic site, Twin Bridges campground, and
two summer recreation residences. All of these facilities could
be affected by road construction in one way or another.
According to the Environmental Analysis Report for the Third
Phase of Construction of the Logan Canyon Highway the following
recommendations were made :
22. Preserve the China Row Spring and provide roadside
turn-out space for two automobiles.
23. Design suitable access into the new highway at the
following locations:
a. Right Fork Road Junction
b. Woodcamp Recreation Site
c. Logan Cave Parking
d. Cottonwood Canyon Recreation Site
e. Brachiopod Summer Recreation Area
f. Twin Bridges Recreation Site
The Logan Cave parking and the Cottonwood Canyon Recreation Site
parking can be combined into one parking area.
Attached are copies of three pages covering Recreation and Aesthetics
out of the Environmental Analysis Report on the Logan Canyon Highway.
I would like t o call your attention to the list of turn-outs and
parking areas for use by people fishing, bird watching, etc. These
popular pull-outs would be preserved if at all possible.
Possible uses of excess cut material from the proposed Third
Phase Highway Improvement program may be similar to previous
phases or hauled out of the canyon. We have looked at and are
still looking at possible beneficial uses should the road work
be undertaken.
The Cowley Canyon road could benefit from additional material to
improve the driving surface as well as to lift the road above the
drainage channel and improve water quality. There may also be
a similar opportunity for improvement to the Temple Fork road.
There may also be an opportunity to utilize clean rock to stabilize
stream channels in Logan Canyon and side drainages. Perhaps the
fisheries of Logan River, Right Fork, and Temple Fork could be
improved with appropriately designed structures utilizing clean
rock. There may be other uses as well, but environmental assessments
of each would be necessary before any undertaking. The
same with any actual waste sites selected. Some waste disposal
sites looked at to date include the Twin Bridges, both the upper
and lower end; the Woodcamp area; the draw immediately below. the
lower bridge at Twin Bridges; and the bench at the present site
of the Logan Cattle Allotment corral. There has been no definite
selection as yet and there would be an environmental assessment
made to determine if there is an appropriate waste site.
Attached is a copy of the past ten year's recreational use in
Logan Canyon. These figures represent the visitor day use within
the boundaries of the canyon. The definition of a visitor day
is one individual for a period of 12 hours or some type of similar
combination.
If you have any questions on the above information or any other question
pertaining to this subject, please call the of f ice or feel free to stop \
in and look at the Environmental Ana lysis Report.
Sincerely,
M. J. Roberts
District Forest Ranger
Attachments
Recreation and Aesthettcs
Oltdoor life is a fundamental part of the American tradition. There is a desire in most people for opportunities to have direct contact with nature and the outdoor elements.
Logan Canyon is famed for its natural beauty and scenic features. Major attractions are the beautiful Logan River winding down canyon
through lush green vegetation of the spring and summerer and the brilliant flaming colors of the fall season . There are magnificient scenes of rugged mountains rising abruptly from the canyon bottom that is barely wide enough to accommodate the river and the canyon highway. And there are picturesque rock outcrops into which are growing evergreen and mountain shrubbery. A good variety of wildlife abounds in the canyon and can often be seen by motorists travelling into the canyon. Deer and elk winter at lower elevations and any sightseers make the trip into the canyon to watch these animals browsing and moving about in their natural habitat. Some water fowl can be seen propagating young in the more still waters of Logan River.
The geology of Logan Canyon is very interesting because of the variety of natural features such as Ricks Spring, the Arches or Wind Caves, the China Wall, which is an exposed limestone fault, the Logan Cave and the Brachiopod Rock. During a drive through Logan Canyon one passes by an ancient aquarium of fossilized plant and animal life. Land forms are present that give evidence of the once present Lake Bonneville. Still growing after more than 3,200 years on a rocky crag overlooking Logan Canyon is the great Rocky Mountain Juniper, Jardine. People living in New York, Los Angeles, and other parts of the country have telephoned the Logan Ranger's Office to inquire of the turning of fall colors so they can properly time a trip to see the canyon in its most vivid colors.
Recreation values are very high in Logan Canyon. The canyon is within one and one-half hours driving time from the State Capitol and is used extensively by Utah people as well as by vacationeers from all parts of the country. The recreation use continues to increase each year as more and more people travel to the canyon.
Approximately 336,000 visits were made to the recreation areas in Logan Canyon during 1969, most of which were campers and picnickers. In addition to these visits, many people enjoyed fishing, hunting, sightseeing, swimming, skiing, hiking, cycling, nature study, photography, horseback riding, berry picking, and use of summer homes located in the canyon. Highway 89 through the canyon has become a popular route for tourists travelling to other National Forests and National Parks such as the Yellowstone and Teton area. Logan Canyon is well-known for its natural beauty. It is especially beautiful in the fall when leaves are changing color.
There are 26 developed forest recreation sites in Logan Canyon, 89 summer cabins on National Forest land and 7 on private land in the canyon, 4 organization camps, one major developed winter sports area, and 2 lodges, one of which is on private land. Even with this number
of developed recreation sites, there still are not nearly enough to meet public demands and it is essential that encroachment onto recreation sites be avoided where possible. Located along the 4.278 miles proposed for improvement are the China Row picnic site, Wood Camp Campground, Cottonwood picnic site, Twin Bridges Campground and two summer recreation residences inthe Brachiopod group. All will be affected by road construction in one way or anotehr, but impacts with recreation use can be minimized. Construction may be programmed to specific sections of road which facilitates the efficient progress ofwork and also permits free movement and use to the public on other sections within the construction strip.
The China Row Campground will be obliterated by the propsed road improvement project. Units affected will be relocated elsewhere in the canyon.
There is a minor encroachment upon Wood Camp Campground, the access road to the area will be shifted slightly. The campground entrance sign must be taken up and relocated. The same access used for Wood Camp Campground also serves as access to the new termini of the Old Juniper Trail. Increasing the road height at the access point would be detrimental and should be avoided.
The Logan Cave in the vicinity of Station 754 is popular with spelunkers and others and recieves frequent visits. The cave is located at a sharp curve in the road. The sharp curve and pakring constitutes a traffic hazard. Visits at the cave occur at any time day or night. The cave is an undeveloped natural feature It is necessary that we recognize the need for safe and adequate parking and access to facilitate those stopping to visit the cave.
The Twin Bridges Campground is a premium to those who wish to get away from the crowd because it is somewhat isolated. Access to the campground should be maintained in conjuction to the highway reconstruction. There are presently a number of turnouts heavily used by people desiring to stop, fish, photograph, or just look. The new highway will make the trip through the canyon faster, however, travellers will stop to enjoy the natural beauty in the canyon and likely as not these stops could be unsafe unless pullouts are located at or near the more popular spots. Popular pulloffs that should be preserved if at all possible are : 1. Station 609 - At Right Fork 2. Station 618 3. Station 666 - Across from Wood Camp 4. Station 675 - Above Wood Camp
5. Station 698 - Bend below Burnt Bridge
6. Station 706
7. Station 718 - Approaching Burnt Bridge
8. Station 725 - Above Burnt Bridge
9 . Station 755 - Logan Cave
10. Station 761 - Cottonwood (South)
11. Station 763 - South Cottonwood
12. Station 709 - Below Brachiopod (North)
13. Station 770 - (South) Below Brachiopod
14. Station 793 - (North) Bend above Brachiopod
15. Station 796 - (South) Bend above Brachiopod
16. Station 802 - Bend below Twin Bridges
17. Station 809 - (North) Just below Twin Bridges
18. Station 810 (South) Just below Twin Bridges
19. Station 821 - Cut just below Twin Bridges
20. Station 835 - Twin Bridges
During construction, access roads should be kept open to recreation sites including summer recreation residences and adequate and safe access to these sites must be developed in conjunction with the highway improvement project.
Narrow bands of vegetation presently separa.te the highway from recreation sites and residences. Road construction will remove portions of this vegetative screen and every effort should be made to protect or restore the screening. Abandoned road sections should be obliterated, and revegetated to restore as near to natural conditions as practical.
The aesthetic value will be subjected to intensive change by the right-of- way clearing. Careful attention must be given to this operation to
preserve individual trees and shrubs on the fringe of the clearing boundary. Tree stumps should be cut as near ground surface as possible where stumps are not taken out completely. Trees taken out with the right-or-way clearing can best disposed of by chipping the branches and cutting the trunk into lengths of 8 feet or less and stockpiling for campground use .
Highway 89 Digital Collection
