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<br />OOl15~ <br /> <br />St6~mboat Springs Boating Park <br />by <br />Office of the Director of Parks & Recreation Services <br /> <br />Access <br /> <br />Access to the RICD structures comprising the Steamboat Springs Boating Park (i.e. "D-Hole" <br />and "Charlie's Hole") is via designated locations on property owned by the City of Steamboat <br />Springs as shown on Figures 1, 2 and 3 of Exhibit A, Parking Management Plan West Side of <br />Town. All property shown on the maps is owned by the City with the exception of the Union <br />Pacific railroad area that is leased to the City. There are no impediments to access for the <br />intended uses. <br /> <br />Maps Showing: Control Structures and Access Points <br /> <br />See attached Exhibit A, Parking Management Plan. This was developed in the Spring of 2003 to <br />meet the demand for parking brought about by completion of the D Hole and Charlie's Hole that <br />draw substantial numbers of users with their vehicles. All access to the play holes is from City- <br />owned property except for the small parcel that is leased by the City from the Union Pacific <br />railroad (see Figures 1 and 2 of Exhibit A). <br /> <br />Recreational Activity Demand <br /> <br />According to regular counts conducted by the City and reports submitted by commercial <br />outfitters, commercial tubing remains by far the largest group of river users, although the number <br />of private tubers appears to be steadily increasing. In 2003, after construction of the Boating <br />Park, there were nearly 14,000 commercial tubing rentals. It should be noted that 2003 was a <br />relatively low water year. EDA W, Inc., a recreation consulting firm for the City, has estimated <br />that the number of commercial tubers in a good water year will be 50,000 people. Tube counts <br />performed that year indicate that the ratio of commercial to private tubers ranges up to 2: 1. So if <br />there are 50,000 commercial tubers a year, there would generally be around 25,000 private <br />tubers. <br /> <br />Other significant forms of recreational use on the Yampa within the City include kayaking, <br />rafting, canoeing, and other recreational water uses. In particular, kayak use has also exploded in <br />recent years, generating a demand for more "play" features in the river. As a result, the City, <br />Recreation Engineering and Planning, and the Friends of the Yampa (FaY) joined forces to <br />construct the "D-Hole" whitewater play feature in October 2001 (see article from Paddler <br />magazine in Exhibit B). The instant popularity of this hydraulic structure led to the construction <br />of a second feature, known as "Charlie's Hole," in 2003 in order to meet increasing demand. <br />Prior to construction of Charlie's Hole, it was quite common to see a dozen or more kayakers <br />waiting their turn to play in the "D-Hole" (see photos in Exhibit C, page 2). Table 1 summarizes <br />commercial flotation device data for 2003 which includes kayak and canoe rentals or lessons and <br /> <br />~ <br /> <br />I.,. <br />