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T h iere's no question that whitewater s big business in Durango, but just ow big has been anybody's guess. A new study commissioned in March by the City of Durango attempts to get a han- dle on that million- dollar question, or $20 ±e million to be more precise. a3 3 Local firm RPI Consulting recently released "Economic Impacts of Whitewater Recreation," a report detailing the effect of rafting and kayaking on the local economy. Using data gleaned frorn various sources, including the 2005 Outdoor Recreation and Participation Study and the Colorado Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP), as well as local whitewater recreation companies, the study concluded that river recreation pumps $19.4 million into the local econo- my every year. Furthermore, this flow shows no signs of tapering off, with the industry expected to bring in as much as $23 million by the year 2015. "The report indicates how valuable a recreational resource the river is to Durango," said Dave Wegner, of the local river conservation group, Animas Riverkeepers, formerly Friends of the Animas River. "We need to take into con- sideration what this means to the econom- ic future of Durango and what draws peo- ple to the area." The city will be armed with the results of the report as it heads into a preliminary hearing with the Colorado Water Conservation Board on Mon., July 24, at A group of soon -to- be rafters listens to a safety talk while two practice the proper technique for pulling a fallen comrade back into the boat at the 32nd Street put - in earlier this week. A recent report com- missioned by the city found that whitewa- ter recreation Is "a nearly $20 million Industry in Durango every year. /Photo by