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<br />Recreation <br /> <br />This study focuses on water-based recreation activities, including <br />camping, boating, picnicking, hiking, fishing, and water skiing. <br />Picnicking, camping, and hiking, though often centered at a reservoir or <br />other body of water, do not require water but utilize it more for <br />aesthetic appeal. Fishing and non power boating do not require a vast <br />expanse of water. <br /> <br />The demand for recreation is determined by population, income, and <br />leisure time. Recreation demands tend to increase as population <br />increases. Higher incomes and greater amounts of leisure time are <br />factors which directly stimul ate the demand for recreation as well. <br />Recreation demands for the Upper Platte River study area include both <br />resident and nonresident users. Tourism is an important industry <br />to Colorado, Wyoming, and Nebraska. The influence by nonresident <br />recreationists is depicted in each of the State's Comprehensive Outdoor <br />Recreat i on Pl ans (SCORP). The SCORP' s reveal that 20 to 90 percent of <br />the participation in recreation activities is by out-of-state recrea- <br />tionists. The majority of participation in water-based recreation <br />in the study area comes from residents. Consequently, the future <br />population in the area and the income and leisure time of residents are <br />the s ignifi cant factors that will determi ne future recreation demand. <br />However, other factors affect recreation demand. For instance, changes <br />in price of recreating or traveling to a recreation site can influence <br />demand. A 1 so, changes in recreat i oni sts preferences wi 11 alter demand <br />and change the composition between use within alternative recreation <br />activities. <br /> <br />Projections provided by the SCORP's show an increase in demand for <br />water-based recreation. The most recent Colorado, Wyoming, and Nebraska <br />SCORP's project water-based recreation demands in the study area to <br />increase by an average of 15, 40, and 50 percent for the years 1985, <br />1990, and 1995, respectively. <br /> <br />The SCORP's also analyzed the inventory or existing supply of water <br />impoundments and facilities to meet these recreation demands. The <br />supply-demand comparison for Wyoming indicated an adequate supply of <br />surface water available to accommodate the water-based recreation <br />demands projected to exist in 1990. Nebraska results also indicated <br />enough water to meet current and projected demand. For Colorado, <br />it was recommended that acquisition and development of recreation <br />opportunities along the South Platte River and its tributaries be a high <br />priority. For Colorado and Nebraska, the SCORPs suggested recreation <br />sites and opportunities be located close to the States' population <br />centers so the distribution of the water and human population would not <br />cause regional or local deficiencies. <br /> <br />It was noted in the States' analysis of outdoor recreation that greater <br />recreation demand would cause a greater need for better management of <br />the water resources and facilities. Increased demand for every type of <br />water activity use will create a greater chance for conflicts between <br />users. <br /> <br />35 <br />