Snakes, owls, hunters, warriors and sheep -- lots of sheep -- are among the images that create a tapestry of mystery and wonder on boulders, cliff faces and cave walls for enthusiasts of ancient American Indian rock art in Utah County.

The art is disappearing from along Utah Lake's shores, as it is in other places, and specialists of the indigenous art form worry that vandals and collectors are destroying or stealing a precious public resource.

"It's a real issue for us, there is a lot of vandalism and graffiti going on right now," said Troy Scotter of the Utah Rock Art Association. Scotter recently gave a lecture on the subject at the John Hutchings Museum of Natural History in Lehi.

Rock art was once plentiful in north Utah County, particularly on the west shores of Utah Lake -- but unfortunately some is carved or painted on small enough chunks of rock that it is very mobile, he said, noting rock art here "is not the big flashy stuff."

"There is one boulder that is very interesting," he said. "We're keeping an eye on it, watching it slowly move downhill."

Those who would steal pictographs, painted figures, and petroglyphs, incised figures, can be fined up to $200,000 according to the Archeological Resources Protection Act, he said.

While rock art may not represent written language, "figures had meaning to those who created them," he said. "The beauty of rock art is that your story is just as good as anybody else's."

In Utah County, rock art "varies from the very simple to the very complex, to the very old and to the very recent," Scotter said.

Population growth, the increased popularity of all-terrain vehicles and dirt bikes, and even e-Bay are all affecting the future of the art, he said.

"We're getting a lot of people out there," he said of growth west of Utah Lake.

ATVs are damaging some of the art, he said.

"Some of it is hard to see and you could impact it without even knowing it is there," he said.

Some archeologists around the country have installed hidden Web cams in rock outcroppings to monitor and protect rock art, he said.

While some people steal or destroy rock art, others work to protect and document it. Ronald Myers of American Fork spent Christmas vacation two years ago exploring the lake and taking photographs of the rock art he found.

Myers brought some of his photos to Scotter's lecture to share with those gathered. His love of American Indian artifacts was instilled by museum founder John Hutchings.

"I spent two years ago walking the shores of Utah Lake trying to record everything on Utah Lake," Myers said. "It's a hidden secret if you will; we want to preserve it. When I was a Boy Scout, John Hutchings, he took us to Cherry Creek and discussed artifacts, Indians, etc. I've just lived and died his philosophy on artifacts."

The Utah Rock Art Association works to encourage appreciation, protection and research of rock art, Scotter said -- but balancing appreciation with protection is a delicate task because the more who know about the art, the more at risk it is.

"Rock art is much more meaningful in real life," he said, noting he fears the day when photographs of the art will be all that is left.

Rock art etiquette

Don't touch rock art -- the oil from your hands will affect the art surface.

Don't make a fire near the site.

Don't camp near a rock art site.

Leave artifacts exactly where you find them.

Don't dig when at a site.

Rock art survival

If you see someone digging, do not attempt to confront them or stop them, as they may be armed. Get their license plate number and call law enforcement.

For information about rock art in Utah, visit UtahRockArt.org