In the late 1960s, the state of Utah realized a need to create irrigation and flood control for the towns downriver - St. George, in particular - and set about to create a reservoir. Upon completion of the dam, the state officially established Gunlock State Park, which borders the reservoir, to foster recreational fun in the area. Gunlock State Park and the nearby town, Gunlock, take their name from the first settler in the area, William “Gunlock Will” Hamblin, who arrived in 1857. In addition to being skilled at repairing gunlocks (muzzleloaders’ firing mechanism), Gunlock Will was a renowned sharpshooter.