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<br />~ <br /> <br />OBil38Z <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />INTRODUCTION <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Ten years ago, the sports of whitewater boating and f10atboating were <br /> <br /> <br />limited in Colorado to a handful of enthusiasts and commercial outfitters <br /> <br /> <br />running a few sections of rivers. In the past few years the sports of <br /> <br /> <br />kayaking, canoeing and rafting have grown to such proportions that :there <br /> <br /> <br />are now over fifty commercial outfitters, numerous educational (school and <br /> <br /> <br />church) groups, and thousands of individual boaters from allover the <br /> <br /> <br />country seeking access to rivers in the state. During the 1973-74 season <br /> <br /> <br />the Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP) reported an <br /> <br /> <br />estimate of 500,000 boater activity-days taking place on Colorado rivers. <br /> <br /> <br />While that figure now appears to be high, sales of boating equipment suggest <br /> <br /> <br />an increase of perhaps as much as 30 percent a year, reducing the importance <br /> <br /> <br />of any discrepancy, <br /> <br /> <br />Until now, little has been known about details of these activities in <br /> <br /> <br />Colorado. Questions that have had no answer include: which rivers are being <br /> <br /> <br />used most heavily; when does the use occur; what is the ratio of commercial <br /> <br /> <br />to non-commercial users; and indeed, which rivers are being used at all <br /> <br /> <br />(some stretches are known only by those using them, an appealing thought in <br /> <br /> <br />this day and age). Various agencies and individuals have some information <br /> <br /> <br />about specific river stretches and estimates of boater-use, but this report <br /> <br /> <br />is the first attempt to answer the above questions and consolidate that <br /> <br /> <br />information on a statewide basis. <br /> <br /> <br />Lack of such knowledge has already increased river management problems <br /> <br /> <br />on some of the larger rivers of the West, including the Green and Yampa <br /> <br /> <br />through Dinosaur National Monument, the Selway and Salmon in Idaho, and <br /> <br /> <br />portions of the Colorado in Utah and through the Grand Canyon. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />-1- <br />