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Utah Travel Headlines

Friday, May 25, 2007

Holiday Camping, Fish and Bears

Campers are being advised to use common sense to avoid problems with bears, since the animals have caused three incidents in Utah during the past two weeks. The encounters happened in Provo Canyon, Park City and near Strawberry Reservoir, but similar encounters could happen almost anywhere in the state.

Utah has a sizable population of black bears. The animals normally live in remote areas and shy away from people. "Food is the number one reason bears and people come into conflict," says Steve Gray, a wildlife specialist with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. "We always say that a fed bear is a dead bear and for good reason."

"We simply must keep our campsites and cabin sites clean," Gray says. "The DWR has a strict bear policy that we've put into place to protect the public. Unfortunately, in accordance with that policy, we had to euthanasia one of the bears from last week's incidents."

Here’s more info about the bear incidents.

Mill Hollow is Closed
Mill Hollow Reservoir is a popular fishing and camping spot east of Heber City. It has been drained so crews can repair the dam. It will not be refilled and stocked with fish until after the project is completed in fall 2008.

The Mill Hollow campground is also being renovated and repaired. Thecampground will remain closed until 2009.

Mirror Lake Highway
Snow is rapidly melting from this area, in the High Uinta Mountains. People have been driving Highway 150 into Trial Lake, where they are finding good fishing. Most lakes in the area still have unsafe ice and have not been stocked. There are still snowdrifts in spots.

Fish stocking will begin as soon as trucks can get to the reservoirs – probably within the next couple weeks. Camping conditions will improve quickly now.

Monte Cristo is Open
Highway 39 across Monte Cristo is now open to automobile traffic. This high mountain area still has snow drifts but the road has been cleared. It makes a great scenic drive and provides access to popular camping, hiking and horse riding trails.

Lake Powll is on the Rise
The water level is rising quickly right now at Lake Powell, as runoff gushes down the Colorado and San Juan River.

As of today, the lake level was at 3607 feet above sea level. All developed marinas are fully functional and launching conditions are good, with the exception of the old Hite Marina. It remains closed, with no on-water services. Small boats can be launched on an old road bed but the paved ramp is not usable.

Runoff is carrying considerable debris into the reservoir. If you boat on the upper lake, watch out for floating logs and other material. At this time of year muddy water from runoff may extend downlake 2-3 miles.

Fishing very good at Powell right now. See this report for current fishing information.

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