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<br />001200 <br /> <br />ranging between 1000 and 2,000cfs is 4.0 ("very good"), which is not greater than <br />average rating at the lower flow range of 600cfs to 700cfs. <br /> <br />Number of Kayakers Average Grading Flow Range (cfs) <br />Interviewed <br />3 3.0 500 <br />17 4.1 600-700 <br />14 3.5 800-900 <br />5 4.0 1,000-2,000 <br /> <br />Table 1: Average experience grading at different flow level <br /> <br />VI. Freestyle Kayaking Maneuvers Occur at Actual Flow Rates of 600cfs <br /> <br />Freestyle kayak maneuvers performed during the observation periods were also recorded. <br />These observations were confirmed by asking kayakers during the interviews which <br />maneuvers they had performed. Advanced vertical maneuvers such as cartwheels, loops <br />and blunts were recorded both during interviews and through observations at flows as <br />low as 540cfs. Kayakers were filmed while performing multiple cartwheels at flows in <br />the order of 300cfs, and accomplishing loops at flow levels of 650cfs. <br /> <br />VII. Quality Experience Occurs at Hypothetical Flow Rate of 500cfs <br /> <br />Boaters were asked to assess the quality of a recreational experience at hypothetical flow <br />levels. Kayakers were asked what flow provides a quality experience for freestyle <br />kayaking at the RICD structures. The questions were formulated in order to eliminate <br />flows that would provide a mediocre or less than superior experience. The average flow <br />given by the kayakers interviewed as the lowest flow that provided a quality experience <br />was 515cfs. An equal number ofkayakers responded with a flow below or above 500cfs <br />(median). Over 66% of answers were below or equal to 500cfs. <br /> <br />Table 2 below illustrates the average response to the question "What is the lowest flow <br />that provides a quality experience for freestyle kayaking in the C and D Hole?" according <br />to the level of expertise of the kayakers interviewed. Expert kayakers interviewed gave a <br />lower minimal flow providing a quality experience (455cfs) than intermediate, advanced, <br />and advanced/intermediate kayakers (475cfs, 437cfs and 652cfs). Two flows of 652cfs <br />and 517cfs are listed in the table. The larger one (652cfs) represents the average optimal <br />flows including a flow of 2,000cfs given by one person interviewed, and the smaller <br />number (517cfs) represents the average ofthe minimal reasonable flow given by the <br />eleven remaining advanced/intermediate kayakers interviewed. <br /> <br />8 <br /> <br />Yampa River Freestyle Kayaking Study - August 2005 <br />Vital Resources <br />