鴛鴦湖位於宜蘭、桃園、新竹三縣之交界處,民國六十二年,省林試所研究員柳榗及徐國士曾完成生態研究,認爲該地區仍保持極爲自然之生態狀況,富研究價值。早期,本區由於交通不便,除林業工作人員及學術界人士外,少有遊客,尚能保持自然原狀。接著,森林開發處整修人行步徑,直入核心地帶,又因各方報導,漸爲人知,遊客漸多,甚至有些旅遊業者,大加宣傳,擬開闢爲旅遊據點。民國七十四年八月,森林開發處鑑於該區應以保存自然生態爲主要目標,乃禁止一般遊客進入,僅同意學術性調查研究者進入,民國七十五年四月農委會正式依文化資產保存法指定公告爲自然保留區。 但另一方面,由於我國經濟、社會之發展,遊憩需求日殷,因此鴛鴦湖之遊憩利用壓力大增,本研究分析、探討設置自然保留區之目的及其後績之經營管理,並探討其供遊憩利用之可行性。
The Yuan-Yang lake is one of the few areas in Taiwan which possesses close-to-nature characteristics in its ecosysterm. It is declared as a ”Nature Reserve” according to the prevailinglaw called ”Cultural Heritage Preservation Law”. The lake possesses also a very unique and pleasant landscape hardly could be found elsewhere. In order to satisfying therising tendency of recreational demand, it is suggested from the side of recreation interested group to facilitate the access and even the accommodations of the area around the lake. Based on the fact, that any use leads to change in an ecosystem and based on observations which occur on almost all of the area resulted by recreational uses. suggestions are made to protect the characteristics of the area.