City of Durango, Colorado: Rafting and Water Flows: A Survey and Analysis of Lower Animas Commerical Operators

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City of Durango: Flow Rates and Commercial Operators Fhai Rvwrt 2006 age) and couples comprised of seniors of advanced age had similar preferences in that they were not seeking difficult whitewater or rapids but rather preferred a pleasure oriented boat cruise for sightseeing purposes or casual swimming (i.e. Class 1 -II difficulty). The remaining majority of Lower Animas customers were reported to be seeking a "controlled adventure" that is, a safe trip where whitewater excitement could be engaged with the majority of risk well managed by a competent guide. According to operators, a controlled adventure involves the excitement of navigating whitewater features with splashing, exciting dips and turns, and speed. Again, this "adventure" is required to reside on the fine line of safety. and thrill - which is why nearly all operators desired the 1000 to 2000 cfs flow regime - although it should be noted that higher flows are also beneficial up to approximately 6,000 cfs, at which point some percentage of likely customers might feel there is more adventure and less control and hence opt out of the activity. All operators reported that the majority (approximately' 80 %) of their clients requested a trip with a start date within two weeks of their initial request - these customers are referred to as "walk - in," the remainder scheduled rafting trips with more than two weeks notice. Walk -in customer traffic is important not only because it makes up the majority of the customer base but also because these customers, due to the short time frame of their decision, are able to assess conditions directly prior to departure. Consequently, low water flows /lack of suitable whitewater, or other conditions not meeting the desired experience (e.g. air temperatures, rain, etc) may cause these clients to opt out of commercial rafting. WHITEWATER FEATURES All operators cited Smelter rapids as currently the single biggest highlight of the rafting experience. Many operators noted that a majority of potential clients would inquire as to the whitewater difficulty "class" rating of rapids prior to committing to trips. Whitewater class ratings range from I -VI with class II -III being the most sought after experience on the Lower Animas. Smelter rapids is currently the highest profile feature on the Lower Animas stretch, and as such, is the location of virtually all consumer vanity/souvenir photographs - again, without this feature, and the necessary water flows driving the difficulty rating into the class II -III range, the majority of consumers (excepting those noted previously as families with very small children and seniors of advanced age) would likely not engage in commercially guided rafting - or engage in the activity only during the seasonal timeframe where water flows supported these difficulty classes. This operator assertion is bolstered by quantitative evaluations of client rafting participation in low water years (see figure 2). Proposed enhancements on the Lower Animas at the Durango Boating Park, when coupled with a secured flow regime, should both augment the customer experience and extend the season for commercial rafting. The proposed upper structures (structures 5 & 9) at the boating park should produce Class II to III+ features beginning in mid April with flows in the 850 cfs range creating "early season attractions" and 1200 -1400 cfs flows from May through the end of June creating "tourist attractions ", "international level competition ", "marquis attraction ", and "premier. Rpr` 970.3829153 4