United States Department of the Interior BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT Medford District Office 3040 Biddle Road Medford, Oregon 97504 IN REPLY REFER 1'0' email address:
[email protected] 1792(ORM060) llCT 26 2009 Dear Interested Public: The enclosed Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Little Hyatt Dam project is available for public review. The public review period, advertised on the Medford Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Website, ends on November 30,2009. The website address is http://www.blm. gov/or/ districts/medford. The future of Little Hyatt Dam has generated much interest and discussion. From BLM's initial desire to remove the dam for both safety and liability reasons, many of you have asked us to look at other options, preferring to retain the dam. I have heard the following observations from you on this issue. You value the aesthetic and spiritual ambience of the mountain lake setting. There is special appreciation for the structural appearance ofthe dam, the cascading water over the dam, and the peace and quiet of the area. Many of you recall pleasant memories of more youthful visits to the lake. You also value its rather undeveloped recreational aspect to fish, boat and camp in the area, and generally having the "place to yourself". For those who live in the area, you appreciate this amenity and the value it brings to the Green Springs mountain community. You have noted the biological value of a small mountain lake and its surrounding wetlands, and the fact that the surrounding larger lakes are much more developed. Based on both personal opinions and the available technical information on the condition and possible collapse ofthe dam, many of you remain skeptical that there is any real danger to life and property, believing the old dam will simply leak a slow death, and noting the sparse development downstream that is unlikely to be affected in the event that a collapse does occur.