WSP08186

• File Number: 7630.285
• Description: Wild and Scenic - General
• State: CO
• Basin: Statewide
• Date: 3/1/1977
• Author: Heather Campbell
• Title: Recreational Boating on Colorado Streams
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

000391

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RIVER-USE STATISTICS

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The material presented in this section is the data collected through

estimates made by land managing agencies and river-use surveys. It is

presented according to major drainages in Colorado, including: the North

and South Platte; the Arkansas; the Green and Yampa; the Colorado;' the

San Juan; and the Rio Grande. These rivers, referred to as five, regions,

are shown on Map 1 in this section. The Rio Grande, though an eastern

slope river, has been included with the San Juan for ease of presentation.

The west slope rivers (Green and Yampa, Dolores, Gunnison, and San Juan)

are all ultimately tributaries of the Colorado but in this state have their

own drainage boundaries. Each of the five regions are individually shown

later on Maps 2-6, enlarged for identification of smaller rivers and streams.

Table 1 presents an overview of all the boating use on Colorado rivers,

a total of nearly 150,000 user-days.

Corresponding with the five regions on the maps, Tables 2-6 show the

details of boating-use estimates for each of the rivers in the state. The

total number of boater activity-days is broken down into commercial, educa-

tional and private use where that data is available. Use-season and type

of craft in use are also shown on the tables.

The use estimates are derived from the land management agency estimates

and compared with the results of the survey. A 20 percent return was

obtained for private usage surveyed, while a 50 percent return was obtained

for commercial use. These proportions were considered and multiplied to a

100 percent use figure for final use estimates. By comparing the three

types of use figures: management agency, private, and commercial, good

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