Durango Exhibit 24: City of Durango, Colorado: Economic Impacts of Whitewater Recreation Final Report

• Description: Durango RICD
• State: CO
• Basin: San Juan/Dolores
• Water Division: 7
• Date: 6/1/2006
• Author: RPI Consulting
• Title: Durango Exhibit 24: City of Durango, Colorado: Economic Impacts of Whitewater Recreation Final Report
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Court Documents

I It
City of Durango: Economic Impacts of Whitewater Recreation Final Ror t 2006
I. APPROACH
The whitewater recreation
industry exists virtually
everywhere accessible navigable,
whitewater
exists, and data suggests
that it tends to flourish
where developed parks are easily
accessible
and /or commercial guiding
services are available.
The Lower Animas River is a
whitewater
resource that not only
possesses all of the elements
necessary to capture a
significant
component of the market
share for this industry
but also possesses tremendous
potential to
maintain or capture more
of that market share now
and into the future.
The following steps are used to estimate the total current and future economic impacts of
whitewater recreation on the Lower Animas River in around the City of Durango:
1. Evaluate national, state, and local trends with regard to whitewater
recreation.
2. Determine total commercial user days, visitor expenditures, and multiplier
effects of those expenditures.
3. Calculate total non - commercial user days, visitor expenditures and
multiplier effects.
4. Investigate total formalized event use of the River including competitions,
classes, and private party equipment rentals, expenditures and multiplier
effects.
5. Sum total economic impacts of whitewater recreation to the Durango
area economy.
6. Estimate potential future benefits of whitewater recreation given existing
trends, future water flows and park improvements.
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