Delta National Wild and Scenic River : 2005 recreation user survey

2006·39.1 MB·English

by  Whittaker, Doug

U S. Department of the Interior
Bureau of Land Management
88073194
BLM Alaska Open File Report 108
BLM/AK/ST-06/024+8351 +050
June 2006
Delta National Wild and Scenic River
2005 Recreation User Survey
ARLIS
Alaska Resources Library & Information Serv ices
Library Building, Suite 111
3211 Providence Drive
Anchorage, AK 99508-4614
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U S. Department of the Interior
Bureau of Land Management
BLM Alaska Open File Report 108
BLM/AK/ST-06/024+8351 +050
June 2006
Delta National Wild and Scenic River
2005 Recreation User Survey
Doug Whittaker, Ph.D. and Bo Shelby, Ph.D.
ARLIS
Alaska Resources Library & Information Services
Library Building, Suite 111
3211 Providence Drive
Anchorage, AK 99508-4614
DATE DUE
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Mission Statement
FRINTED IN U.S.A.
The Bureau of Land rivii iwy vi i ivi 1 y 1—' 1—1V 1 J OUOl 3ii io u ic 11ca liin i,, uuiivvccii ssniiyy and productivity of the public lands
for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.
Authors
Doug Whittaker, Ph.D. and Bo Shelby, Ph D. Confluence Research and Consulting, 6324 Red Tree
Circle, Anchorage, AK 99507
Cover
Delta Falls, Delta National Wild and Scenic River
Open File Reports
Open file reports present the results of inventories or other investigations published outside the formal
BLM-Alaska technical publication series. These reports can include preliminary or incomplete data and
are not published and distributed in quantity.
Reports are available while supplies last from BLM External Affairs, 222 West 7th Avenue, #13,
Anchorage, Alaska 99513 [phone] and from the Juneau Minerals Information Center, 100 Savikko
Road, Mayflower Island, Douglas, AK 99824, [phone]. Copies are also available for inspection
at the Alaska Resource Library and Information Service (Anchorage), the United States Department of
the Interior Resources Library in Washington D.C., various libraries of the University of Alaska, the BLM
National Business Center Library (Denver), and other selected locations.
A complete bibliography of all BLM-Alaska scientific reports can be found on the Internet at:
http://www.blm.gov/ak/affairs/sci_rpts.html.
Related publications are also listed at: http://www.blm.gov/ak/jrmic/index.html.
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Alaska Resources
ibrary & Information Services
Anchorage, AK
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By
Doug Whittaker, Ph.D.
and
Bo Shelby, Ph. D.
BLM Open File Report 108
June 2006
U.S. Department of the Interior
Bureau of Land Management
Glennallen Field Office
PO Box 147, Mile 186.5 Glenn Highway
Glennallen, AK 99588
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■
Delta National Wild and Scenic River
2005 Recreation User Survey
Photo Gallery
& Summary
Low er Tangle Lakes. This photo gallery illustrates major findings from a 2005 recreation user study on Alaska’s
Tangle Lakes and Delta River, a 62-mile corridor that is part of the National Wild and Scenic River System.
Offering high quality boating, fishing, hunting, and camping opportunities that attract substantial recreation use,
BLM expects to revise a 1983 river management plan in the near future. This survey is one input for planners to
consider.
Study Area
Upper Delta River.
The study area includes
five lake/river
segments: Upper
Tangle Lakes, Lower
Tangle Lakes, Upper
Delta, Lower Delta,
and the Black Rapids
segment. Report
sections summarize
recreation facilities,
recreation features
(e.g., topography,
scenery, fish, wildlife),
setting character by
segment, and historical
use levels.
Registration form. The
survey targeted recent
Delta users identified
from 1) voluntary
registration boxes at
boat launches, and 2) a
networking sample
reached via paddling
clubs, a motorized
access organization,
outfitters, and known .
local users. In all, 358
people were mailed
surveys and 345
returned them (68%
response rate). The
sample included 152
non-motorized users, 73
motorized users, and
116 ATV users.
Lower Tangle Lakes. Sampled Delta users take many types of trips, but lake-based trips were more common than
lake-to-river “through trips,” while Lower River powerboat, Black Rapids, and ATV trips were even less common.
Median number of previous trips was 2 to 4. Most respondents were males in their 40s and 50s. Median trip
length was 3 to 4 days. Most groups included 2 to 6 people. Majorities of all trips fish, but hunting was more
common on Lower River powerboat and ATV trips. None of the “through trip” boaters reported hunting.
_
Clockwise from top: Lower Delta grayling fishing:
Lower Tangle camp; whitewater in Delta Gorge.
Users rated different reasons for taking trips, and
results suggest recreation experiences are multi¬
faceted. The least important attribute is “meeting
other users,” so minimizing interaction is a
reasonable management goal. Non-motorized users
were more interested in several attributes commonly
associated with “wilderness recreation” (e.g.,
solitude, scenery, being in a natural place) than
motorized users. Fishing and hunting were more
important for motorized users.
Camp on Lower Delta River. Few respondents thought any segment should provide a higher density setting, but
there were differences between motorized and non-motorized users. Non-motorized users are more sensitive to
high densities, development levels, and motorized use, preferring less of each. Most users reported 8 of 16 impacts
as “high priorities’ for management. Signs of use impacts (litter, human waste) were the highest priorities, and
camp competition, camp sharing, and camp encounters were more important than river encounters. Motorized boat
encounters, ATV encounters, and ATV trail impacts were higher priorities for non-motorized users.
Lower Delta River. Perceived
crowding scores suggest that no
segment is “over capacity” and
crowding scores were well below
those from studies on the Gulkana
and several Susilna Basin rivers.
Analysis of crowding ratings
revealed no upward trend in recent
years.
Reported encounters with other
groups were generally higher than
preferences, but were lower than
tolerances. Average encounter
tolerances (usually less than 4) are
similar to those from many other
studies of backcountry areas.