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<br />001196 <br /> <br />I. Freestyle Kayaking Activity at the Boating Park is Time Dependent <br /> <br />According to frequent observations of freestyle kayaking activities at the C-Hole and D- <br />Hole from 8:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m., kayaking activities are more prevalent after 11 :00 <br />a.m., and more kayakers recreate at the structures between 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., as <br />illustrated by Figure 1 and Figure2. Moreover, the largest number ofkayakers are present <br />during "lunch time" and "after work" for both structures, and during the late afternoon <br />hours at the D-Hole. <br /> <br />No kayaking activity was observed at the C-Hole or D-Hole before 11 :00 a.m. at any <br />flow (58 observations conducted before 11 :00 a.m. were recorded, including 12 during <br />weekends). Observations show the majority ofkayakers have never kayaked in the dark <br />at C-Hole or D-Hole (59%), and that on average kayakers leave the structures by 6:19 <br />p.m. The results of the interviews indicate that kayakers generally freestyle kayak at the <br />C and D Holes after 11 :45 a.m. (average earliest hour in the morning people freestyle <br />kayak at the structures). The majority ofkayakers interviewed stated that they leave the <br />RICD structures before sunset, and they have not kayaked at the C-Hole or D-Hole at <br />night. Both, Figure 1 and Figure 2 show that since April 1 S\ even during peak hours and <br />at relatively high flows, there are many times when kayakers are not utilizing either of the <br />structures (44% of observations show no kayaking activity at the C Hole or D Hole). <br /> <br />The maximum number ofkayakers observed at one time is 12 at the C Hole between 6:00 <br />p.m. and 7:00 p.m. The maximum number ofkayakers observed at one time at the D Hole <br />is 7, observed between, both 5:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m., and between 7:00 p.m. and 8:00 <br />p.m. On average, zero to three kayakers can be observed at any time of the day at the C <br />Hole, while zero to two kayakers can be observed at the D Hole. <br /> <br />It is clear that one ofthe most important factors to kayaking participation at the C and D <br />hole is time; most kayakers freestyle kayak during off-work hours. In addition, local <br />freestyle kayakers commented on the attractiveness of the Yampa River boating park <br />during the beginning ofthe kayaking season (generally during the month of May or early <br />April) when the Yampa River runs at higher flows than other rivers in the region. The <br />same local expert kayakers often choose to kayak a longer course during the weekend <br />such as the "day-run" on the western stretch of the Yampa River known as "Cross <br />Mountain". <br /> <br />Figure 1 and Figure 2 also show that over the period of observation, the average number <br />of people kayaking in the C-Hole is greater than the average number ofkayakers in the <br />D-Hole. At both low (120cfs) and high (1700fs) flows, water depth is greater at the D- <br />Hole than the C Hole, and channel width is smaller at the D Hole than the C-Hole (Lacy, <br />M.2004). After the modifications of Apri1l3, 2003, two expert kayakers commented on <br />the "friendliness" of the D-Hole particularly between flow levels of 500cfs and 800cfs. <br />The C-Hole structure appears to perform better than the D-Hole structure at a wider range <br />of flow levels. <br /> <br />4 <br /> <br />Yampa River Freestyle Kayaking Study - August 2005 <br />Vital Resources <br />