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Abstract
Three alternative dams have been considered by Seattle City Light for the Skagit River Narrows in the North Cascades National Recreation Area, Washington. The authors assessed the area's existing visual resources, identified three alternative highway and transmission line realignments, evaluated changes in visual character and quality for 13 different combinations of reservoirs, roads and powerlines, and recommended alternatives and mitigation opportunities. These combinations were simulated on "before" and "after" oblique aerial color photographs which facilitated visual impact evaluation. The loss of visual quality after development was generally small in comparison to the dramatic change in visual character. The study proved valuable for presenting impacts credibly to both client and public groups. It also demonstrated the parity of visual assessment with other assessments.
Parent Publication
Citation
Ady, John; Gray, Brian A.; Jones, Grant R. 1979. A visual resource management study of alternative dams, reservoirs and highway and transmission line corridors near Copper Creek, Washington. In: Elsner, Gary H., and Richard C. Smardon, technical coordinators. 1979. Proceedings of our national landscape: a conference on applied techniques for analysis and management of the visual resource [Incline Village, Nev., April 23-25, 1979]. Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-GTR-35. Berkeley, CA. Pacific Southwest Forest and Range Exp. Stn., Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture: p. 590-597
