Fishlake National Forest

Fishlake National Forest is a U.S. National Forest located in south central Utah. The namesake for the forest is Fish Lake, the largest freshwater mountain lake in the state.^[6]

Fishlake National Forest
Fishlake National Forest
Location	Beaver, Garfield, Iron, Juab, Millard, Piute, Sanpete, Sevier, and Wayne[1] counties, Utah, USA
Nearest city	Richfield, UT
Coordinates	38°42′30″N 111°57′33″W[2]
Area	1,461,226 acres (5,913.37 km2)[3]
Established	July 1, 1908[4]
Visitors	500,000 (in 2006[5])
Governing body	U.S. Forest Service
Website	Fishlake National Forest

Wildlife

Animals that inhabit this forest are elk, shrews, deer, black bears, coyotes, various species of bats, moose, raccoons, two species of skunks, badgers, turkey vultures, two species of eagles, pika, snowshoe hares, various species of woodpeckers, pine marten, porcupines, four species of hummingbirds, beavers, kestrels, pronghorn, various species of owls, bobcats, minks, three species of fox, cougars, mountain lions, bighorn sheep, wild turkeys, and mountain goats.

Geography

Established in 1908 from the merging of Fish Lake National Forest and Glenwood National Forest, the forest covers 1.5 million acres (6,100 km²) and is split into four districts. The forest lies in parts of nine counties. In descending order of forestland area, they are Sevier, Millard, Piute, Beaver, Wayne, Juab, Garfield, Iron, and Sanpete counties. Forest headquarters are located in Richfield with local ranger district offices in Beaver, Fillmore, Loa, and Richfield.^[7] The national forest is the headwaters of Otter Creek, a tributary of the East Fork Sevier River. It is also home to the Chalk Creek Hieroglyphics.

Pando, a clonal quaking aspen stand, that, according to some sources, is the oldest (80,000 years) and largest (106 acres, 13 million pounds) organism on Earth, is located in the Fremont River Ranger District of the National Forest, 1 mile southwest of Fish Lake on Utah route 25.^[8]

Acquisition

Native water rights to Fish Lake were sold to the Fremont Irrigation Company on March 10, 1889, for nine horses, 500 pounds of flour, one steer, and a suit of clothes. Ten years later President William McKinley created a Forest Reserve which included Fish Lake.^[9]

Fishlake National Forest map

Gallery

• 
  Quitchupah Canyon
• 
  State Route 72 in Fishlake National Forest
• 
  Fish Lake
• 
  Map of Fishlake National Forest in Millard County

See also

• List of U.S. national forests
• Fish Lake, Utah
• Fishlake Scenic Byway

References

1. "About the Forest (Fishlake National Forest)". United States Forest Service. Retrieved 2024-09-28.
2. "Fishlake National Forest". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2012-12-26.
3. "Land Areas of the National Forest System" (PDF). U.S. Forest Service. January 2012. Retrieved June 30, 2012.
4. "The National Forests of the United States" (PDF). ForestHistory.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 28, 2012. Retrieved July 30, 2012.
5. Staff (April 2010). "Utah Forest Highway Long Range Transportation Plan" (PDF). Central Federal Lands Highway Division. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 September 2012. Retrieved 27 May 2012.
6. "About Us" - Fishlake National Forest
7. "USFS Ranger Districts by State" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-01-19. Retrieved 2009-05-17.
8. "Pando". USDA Forest Service. Retrieved 2013-08-24.
9. "History of the Fishlake National Forest". USDA Forest Service web site. Retrieved 17 October 2011.

Further reading

• (1994) "The Forest Service in Utah" article in the Utah History Encyclopedia. The article was written by Thomas G. Alexander and Rick J. Fish and the Encyclopedia was published by the University of Utah Press. ISBN 9780874804256. Archived from the original on November 3, 2022 and retrieved on April 23, 2024.

External links

• Fishlake National Forest - USDA Forest Service
• Fishlake National Forest - Utah Office of Tourism