The Shihmen Reservoir's catchment area had been almost uninhabited before development began. But by 1984, land prices in Taiwan had already shot up several times, and along the Peishih River where the Feitsui Dam was to be built, apart from Pinglin which had long been famous throughout Taiwan for its Wenshan Baozhong tea, many hilltops had already been bought up by construction companies and even educational institutions.
相較於石門水庫在集水區開發前的人煙罕至；七十三年，台灣地價已幾度飆漲，翡翠水庫所在的北勢溪，除上游坪林種植的文山包種茶早享譽全台，各山頭也被建設公司、財團，甚至學校收購不知幾許。