Ice Age Floods
Study of Alternatives
Section E—Examination of Similar Projects |
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s u m m a r y
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Examining similar projects, several of which are part of NPS Long Distance Trails Program, provides the opportunity to understand better the options for funding, management, interpretation, and maintenance. Fifteen projects from around the country were reviewed. Many of these projects are considered to be “non-traditional” in their concept, and the Floods region is expected to require a similar approach.
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Introduction
A comparison and analysis of projects that have characteristics similar to those of the Ice Age Floods region provided an opportunity to learn from the experiences of others. The objective was to analyze funding, management, interpretation and maintenance of these projects in order to determine the best approach for this study. The Ice Age Floods region is unique, but there are other projects with characteristics that are somewhat similar to the Floods region. These projects are described in greater detail in Appendix F of this report. Many of the projects fall under the NPS Long Distance Trails Program, which consists of 14 National Scenic and Historic Trails totaling 26,000 miles. Each trail is managed through strong partnerships between nonprofit partners and federal and state agencies. The NPS provides administration, technical assistance, and coordination to ensure appropriate protection and interpretation of the trails.
Each project was analyzed by examining such variables as size, uses and activities, management, cooperating partners, visits, features, interpretive elements, staffing, budget and funding, and jurisdiction.
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Bonneville Flood Down the Snake River
The “Bonneville Flood” occurred about 15,000 years ago when the great Lake Bonneville, which covered much of Utah (Great Salt Lake is the minuscule remnant), overtopped Red Rock Pass causing the lake surface to drop 300 feet to the Provo shoreline. The Bonneville flood released 1,000 cubic miles of water The volume of this flood was twice as large as the biggest Missoula flood. However, unlike the Ice Age Floods, the Bonneville Flood occurred over a period of a couple of weeks.
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The various projects fall under seven basic headings currently used by the National Park Service. Examples of these area/projects include:
- National Historic Trails—Oregon NHT, Lewis & Clark NHT
- National Scenic Trails—Ice Age NST, Natchez Trace NST, Potomac NST
- National Heritage Corridors—Illinois & Michigan Canal NHC, Blackstone River Valley NHC, Delaware and Lehigh NHC, Quinebaug and Shetucket Rivers Valley NHC · National Scenic Areas*—Columbia Gorge NSA (USFS)
- National Historic Parks*—Klondike Gold Rush NHP, Nez Perce NHP
- National Reserves—Ice Age National Scientific Reserve
- National Heritage Trail—New Jersey Coastal Heritage Trail
*Although the National Scenic Areas and National Historic Parks appear to be unlike the Ice Age Floods proposal, they were included as similar projects because of the extensive use of partnerships, both governmental and non-governmental, in a non-traditional setting.
See Appendix F for a more detailed description of the similar projects that were examined.
