Panguitch • Panguitch Lake • Hatch • Bryce • Tropic • Antimony • Henrieville • Cannonville • Escalante • Boulder • Fremont • Loa • Lyman Bicknell • Teasdale • Torrey • Grover • Fruita • Caineville • Hanksville
“LET’S DRIVE”
“Let’s Drive” is a new book by Ann King Reynolds that includes road trips, history, stories, and personal experiences about the area in and around the Grand StaircaseEscalante National Monument. Beginning at Panguitch, the first and second trips go to Kanab and then on to Page. The third trip is up through Johnson Canyon and the White Mountain area and places along Skutumpah Road which goes through to Cannonville. Roadtrip four goes along Highway 12 to Escalante, and five goes south from Escalante through the monument to Big Water. Six goes to the Hole-In-The-Rock. Seven is from Escalante up around Hell’s Backbone, and eight is from Escalante to Boulder. The last two, number nine is to the Burr Trail and ten is over the Boulder Mountain to Capital Reef Park. Ann attempts to cover well-known stories about the area to show where they were located as well as adding more recent ones. Maps of the road trips are included for those that don’t know the area as well as general information about the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument itself. She hopes the book can be enjoyed by locals and tourists alike.
DEQ TURNED 20 IMPROVED EFFICIENCIES IN 2011 The Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) today released its annual state of the environment report that shows significant achievements in safeguarding Utah’s air, land and water. In 2011, DEQ marked a 20-year milestone of environmental progress by laying the foundation to improve its regulatory process for future landmark achievements. “As the statistics in this annual report indicate, Utah’s environment continues to improve,” said Amanda Smith, executive director of DEQ. “Finding ways to work more efficiently and produce better results is critical to businesses and industries subject to our oversight. It is also critical to enhancing the quality of Utah’s environment.” This past year DEQ utilized “Lean Six Sigma” business management strategy – a process that involved the public and stakeholders to fully review the administrative process – in order to become more effective in protecting human health and the envi-
ronment. This technique is being applied to streamline the handling of permits in the Divisions of Air Quality and Radiation Control, and to better coordinate emergency response in the Division of Environmental Response and Remediation. It’s also being utilized to help meet environmental challenges ahead, such as tackling the air quality issues in the Uintah Basin. Given the importance of energy to Utah’s economy and environment, energy is afforded its own section
in this web-based report, available at: http://www. deq.utah.gov/envrpt/index. htm. In 2011 the Utah Legislature created the Office of Energy Development, an independent agency that works cooperatively with DEQ to achieve goals outlined in the Governor’s 10year strategic plan. “I’m pleased with the achievements outlined in this report,” said Governor Gary Herbert. “A healthy environment in conjunction with energy development is crucial to Utah’s economy and quality of life.”
SEVIER POWER COMPANY
580 Megawatt Combined-Cycle Gas Power Plant Sevier Power Company (SPC) proposes to construct and operate a new natural gas-fired combined-cycle power generating plant to be located approximately 8 miles northeast of Richfield Utah in Sevier County, Utah. Upon completion the proposed plant will include a single power block, fired exclusively on pipeline-quality natural gas, and will consist of either two General Electric (GE) Frame 7FA or Siemens Westinghouse 5000-F(4) gas turbines, two heat recovery steam generators (HRSGs) with supplemental firing, and one steam turbine in a combined-cycle configuration, with associated equipment including an aircooled condenser, a natural gas-fired auxiliary boiler, two natural gas-fired fuel heaters, a diesel engine-driven fire pump, and a diesel engine emergency generator. The combined cycle plant will have a nominal electrical generating capacity output of approximately 580 megawatts (MWe). For specific questions about the plant please contact project manager John Jenks PANGUITCH WEATHER at 801-536-4400.
Thursday, January 5, 2012 • Issue # 922
COLD ICE MEANS HOT FISHING
Winter is one of the best times to catch fish Just because it’s cold doesn’t mean it’s time to put your fishing gear away. In fact, if you put your gear away now, you might miss some of the best fishing of the year. That’s right—those “crazy” people you see standing on the ice at waters across Utah aren’t so crazy after all. They know a layer of cold ice means hot fishing in the water under the ice. “You can set your watch by it,” says Drew Cushing, warm water sport fisheries coordinator for the Division of Wildlife Resources. “When ice starts to form on a body of water, the fish under the ice get very active. And they’re eager to bite.” And that eagerness to bite often continues through the winter. A cheap and fun way to fish Cushing says fishing on the ice gives anglers several advantages: If you’re willing to walk, you can reach any part of the reservoir you want to fish. Cushing calls ice the “great equalizer.” “In the winter,” he says, “you don’t need a boat or a float tube to reach certain parts of a reservoir. If you have a rod and a reel, and you’re willing to walk, you can reach any part of the reservoir you want to fish.” Catching fish in the winter doesn’t require the skill needed to catch fish during other times of the year. If you drop your bait in front of the fish, the fish will probably take it. You don’t need a lot of expensive equipment. A short rod and reel; some line, hooks and wax worms or meal worms; and a digging bar or an ice auger are all you need to get started. If you like to fish with lures, you may want to include a few ice flies and small jigs in your tackle box too. Because you can dig two holes close together, ice fishing is a great way to double your fun by fishing with two poles. Just make sure you have a two-pole permit before you dip your second line in the water. In addition to catching fish, you and those you’re fishing with can enjoy socializing. Just drill your holes close together, and have fun. “Most ice anglers really look forward to the social side of ice fishing,” Cushing says. That sounds great. But isn’t it hard to drill a hole through the ice? One thing that surprises many first-time ice anglers is how easy it is to drill a hole through the ice. Cushing says if you have a hand auger, you can drill through six to eight inches of ice in about a minute. “It’ll take a little longer if you use a digging bar,” he says, “but not much.” Digging bars cost between $5 and $10. Manual ice augers cost about $50. Great! But how can I have fun if I’m cold? Temperatures can be cold during the ice-fishing season. But that doesn’t mean you have to be cold. You can stay warm simply by dressing for the conditions. Cushing says one piece of equipment that anglers often forget is a pair of waterproof boots. As the day warms, slush can develop on top of the ice. “Having a pair of waterproof boots will keep your feet warm and dry,” he says. Sounds good. But how do I know if the ice is safe to walk on? Most anglers wait until the ice is at least 4 inches thick before walking on it. Ice is usually thinnest near the shore. Before you walk out, Cushing says you should stay close to the shore and dig or drill a test hole to see how thick the ice is. You may also want to dig or drill some additional holes as you walk out. If you find that the ice in your test holes is at least four inches thick, you can be almost certain that the ice farther out is at least four inches thick, or thicker. Ice cleats and ice spikes are two ice-related items you may want to consider buying: You can strap the ice cleats to the bottom of your boots. The cleats will give you better traction as you walk on the ice. Ice spikes are two short pieces of metal. They’re often attached by a short cord that you can drape around your neck. If you fall through the ice, you can pull yourself out by jabbing the spikes into the top of the ice near the edge of the hole.
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