No full-text available
To read the full-text of this research,
you can request a copy directly from the authors.
Effects of streamflows on river trips on the Colorado River in Grand Canyon, Arizona
Abstract
Effects of flows on whitewater boating can be profound, but there is little evidence that shows impacts on specific trip attributes. A normative approach developed in other resource management applications is used to develop evaluative information about streamflows for whitewater trips in the Grand Canyon, below Glen Canyon Dam. A mailed survey was completed by 134 commercial river guides and 152 private trip leaders. Questions covered the effects of flows on trip quality and scheduling, quality and safety of rapids, camping, and visits to off-river attraction sites. The study identifies the diversity of attributes affected by flows, evaluates specific effects of flows on those attributes, and presents methods for data collection, analysis, and interpretation. Such information is particularly helpful for developing flow requests, integrating recreation needs with the needs of other resources, and developing flow scenarios for dam operation. Changes in operating regimes for Glen Canyon Dam are being considered, based on this and other research conducted as part of the Glen Canyon Environmental Studies. -from Authors
... In research studies, evaluations of flow often follow a bell-shaped or an inverted U-shape (fig. 4), with very low and very high flows being least acceptable for recreationists and intermediate flows contributing to the highest levels of recreational quality (Shelby et al. 1992a). ...
... Furthermore, greater agreement on minimum level of flows was observed as compared to agreement over optimum levels of flows. Research studies on flow and recreation also have found that specific elements of a river trip—such as time to reach camp, availability of camping sites, safety of rapids, or the challenge of the trip, are affected differently by flow and therefore have different levels of acceptable flow (Shelby et al. 1992aShelby et al. , 1998). Because the level of acceptable flow in cubic feet per second is dependent on so many variables, including the unique attributes of streams or rivers, it is not possible to generate a quantitative number for flow that can represent the optimum level of streamflow across all recreational activities or river types. ...
... Because optimum streamflow varies by activity, it is important for research studies to examine the relation between flow and various water-based recreational activities. Although some studies have examined the impact on fishing from reduction of flow owing to hydropower development or irrigation (e.g., Johnson and Adams 1988), most studies examining the relation between streamflow and recreation have focused on rafters and boaters (see Brown et al. 1991, Shelby et al. 1992a for reviews) and, to a lesser extent, on hiking or swimming (e.g., Moore et al. 1990). More work on the effect of streamflow on various recreational activities is needed. ...
To resolve conflicts over water, we need an understanding of human uses and values for water. In this study, we explore how water-based recreation affects and is affected by the water regime and water management and how key social trends might influence future water-based recreation. We found that although water is a critical component of many recreational experiences, our failure to understand current and anticipated water-based recreation use trends hampers our ability to effectively manage for recreation. Furthermore, we examined certain key drivers of social change, including population growth and migration, that will likely alter future recreation trends in the Pacific Northwest. We identified changes to the water resource, such as altered flow regimes, that have important consequences for the availability and quality of recreation opportunities. Although there are a variety of conflicts among recreationists and between recreation and other uses of water, we have a limited understanding of how to resolve them. Effective management will require examining the links between recreational opportunities and water management to minimize negative impacts to both recreation and the water regime.
... White-water boaters, along with being affected by instream flows (Shelby et al., 1992a), are also affected by the long-term effects of a flow regime. Because of factors related to degree of annual variation in water discharge and lower sediment loading, the number and size of beaches in some river corridors has decreased as a long-term effect of regulated flows (Kearsley and Warren, 1993). ...
... Of the research directed at understanding relations between river recreation and setting characteristics, a substantial portion has been focused on assessing recreational impacts of instream flow variability . Such research has been useful to better understand the effects of instream flows on such aspects as scenic value (Loomis and Feldman, 1995), experience quality of river float trips (Shelby and Whittaker, 1995;Shelby et al., 1992aShelby et al., , 1997, non-use values sometimes referred to as existence value and/or bequest value (Harpman et al., 1993;Welsh et al., 1995), and experience quality of sport fishing (Shelby et al., 1992b;Carlson and Palmer, 1997). These lines of research have provided for more informed decision-making contexts for release flows, which in turn, have held promise for policy outcomes directed at a wider array of interests. ...
... This finding converges with Brunson and Shelby (1990) whose model indicates the necessity of flat level ground in campsite selection processes. Others have found a lack of available campsites or sharing a camp with another party as detracting from the quality of recreation (Shelby et al., 1992a;Welsh et al., 1995). To the extent that spike flows increase the number of useable beaches in the river corridor, the need to share a camp with another party is minimized. ...
Release flow decisions are increasingly being influenced by an array of social values, including those related to river-based recreation. A substantial portion of past recreation research on downstream impacts of dams has focused on variability of instream flows. This study complements past research by assessing user preferences for beach characteristics affected by long-term impacts of flow regimes. Based upon a study of three recreational user groups (private trip leaders, commercial passengers, and river guides) of the Colorado River in Grand Canyon, preferences for beach size, presence of shade on beach, and presence of vegetation on beach are examined. Results indicate that large size beaches with shade from trees are setting characteristics with highly reliable and strong user preferences. The multinomial regression models developed for each user group indicate that 80% of all respondents would choose beach campsites 800 m(2); results were the same regardless of respondents' past boating experience, boat type (i.e. oar or motorized), or group size. In addition, size of beach was consistently reported to be a trip feature of moderate importance to respondents' river trip. Implications of this research are related to future prospects for controlled floods (i.e. spike flows) released from Glen Canyon Dam.
... To address the increasing impacts of recreation activities, carrying capacity was introduced in recreation resource management in the early 1960s. Some earlier contributors (e.g., [31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47][48]) have paved the way for many carrying capacity studies in recreation and tourism resources today. ...
... The key takeaway of this method is that it requires identifying indicators and specifying the standards that define the quality of the recreation resource [34,[36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47][48]61,85,91,92]. The indicators could be determined by examining the state of the recreation and tourism resource quality, such as the environmental and social impacts as well as the managerial influences that are likely to be the factors that would influence visitor experiences [93][94][95]. ...
Carrying capacity is paramount to recreation and tourism management, which depends on sustainability between resource protection and experience quality. Many studies have examined carrying capacity from several perspectives, but the various methods of assessing carrying capacity have not yet been reviewed. The purpose of this study is to assess the methods of carrying capacity, their trend, and the assessment of carrying capacity made by each method. From the three scientific repositories used in this research, 100 original research papers were included in the review process. A total of 24 methods were recorded. The normative approach and Cifuentes Arias’ method were found to be the two main methods of determining carrying capacity. From the assessment of carrying capacity and the origin of each method, two fundamentals of carrying capacity emerged, and their differences and limitations are discussed. In addition, the study found that the carrying capacity employed in tourism destinations was formulated by complex variables that may require political interventions to ensure their success. Most of the research reviewed here focuses on the social aspects of carrying capacity, thus leaving room for future research. This study should benefit academics, policymakers, and resource managers by comprehensively analyzing the methods, limitations, and directions of future research in carrying capacity studies.
... Whitewater boating is a flow-dependent recreation activity. Over the last several decades, considerable research has examined the flow-recreation relationship (Brown et al., 1991;Shelby et al., 1992a;. Flow-recreation studies tend to focus on whitewater boating, as flow influences opportunities to take a trip and the challenge or social value provided . ...
... Cataract Canyon, Colorado River (1990, year types (wet, wet typical, dry typical, and dry) ranked by yearly volume*. 11 (Shelby and Whittaker, 1995;Shelby et al., 1992a;Vandas et al., 1990;. Other applications have extended this approach to different indicators and impacts such as encounter norms that describe how many people are considered to be too many in a given setting (refer to Donnelly et al., 2000;Manning, 2011;Shelby et al., 1996;Vaske & Donnelly, 2002;Vaske et al., 1986, for reviews), campsite impacts or site sharing (Heberlein and Dunwiddie, 1979;Shelby, 1981), fishing site competition (Martinson and Shelby, 1992;, discourteous behaviour Shelby, 1988, 1993;Whittaker et al., 2000), and resource indicators such as litter and campsite impacts . ...
... Through the 1990s, a number of approaches were developed to evaluate R-IFN, particularly for regulated rivers in the western United States (Brown et al., 1991;Shelby et al., 1992b). The general approaches have been reviewed by Shelby et al. (1992a) and Whittaker et al. (1993) and may be broadly categorized as subjective approaches that investigate human use or preference, or objective approaches that involve analyses of physical stream characteristics. The subjective approaches are diverse and can involve analyses of historical use, judgment by one or more experts, or survey approaches that involve input from many users (Whittaker et al., 1993;Shelby and Whittaker, 1995). ...
... Consistent with the functions described by other R-IFN investigators (Shelby et al., 1992a), the suitability versus discharge function that we observed based on multiple-flow comparisons produced a skewed bell-curve with a broad apex ( Figure 5). Flows were insufficient for paddling up to the point where the boats would be floatable over the typical riffle sections. ...
Four methods were compared for determining recreational instream flow needs (R-IFN) for paddling canoes, kayaks and rafts on ten river reaches in the Oldman River Basin of southern Alberta. Two flow criteria were evaluated: ‘minimal flow’—the low flow that still provides a reasonable quality river trip; and ‘sufficient flow’—the lower end of the favoured flow range. A voluntary, mail-in user survey from 1983 to 1997 produced 394 responses (4251 paddler days) relative to flow suitability. An expert judgment approach considered flow recommendations from three regional paddling guides that were considered comprehensive and credible. A flow comparison involved about 20 paddle trips per reach by the authors with differing groups, boats and flows. These subjective approaches produced quite consistent results (r2 = 0.63) and these were compared to results from an objective, hydraulic modelling method, the ‘depth, discharge method’ (DDM), that applied stage–discharge functions to determine flows that would satisfy depth criteria of 60 and 75 cm. The DDM minimal flows were closely correlated with the means of the subjective methods (r2 = 0.73). Thus, all four approaches produced generally consistent results, indicating that all methods were valid. Typical minimal and sufficient flows were about 15 and 30 m3 s−1, respectively, for the medium-sized river reaches that had average annual discharges (mean Q) of about 20 m3 s−1. A close correlation (r2 = 0.90) between the minimal flow and mean Q suggests that mean Q can provide an initial estimate for R-IFN for rivers of this type and size. We recommend that R-IFN studies commence with the DDM since it is quick, inexpensive and objectively defensible. This would provide guidelines for subsequent subjective assessments that should involve more than one approach to increase the breadth of subjective consideration. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
... Use of designated wilderness areas and national parks is increasing, leading to the suggestion that managers should concentrate more of their efforts on the quality of wildland experiences (Cole 1996). Travelers on the Colorado River value wilderness aspects of it highly: enjoying a wilderness experience is one of the attributes of an excellent or perfect trip most frequently mentioned by river runners (Bishop et al. 1987, Hall and Shelby, forthcoming (Shelby, Brown and Baumgartner 1992); Bishop et al. (1987) found that most river runners are aware of daily fluctuations, and most felt that these fluctuations make the trip seem less like a natural setting. The magnitude of fluctuations between high and low daily flows, and the rates at which flows are increased and decreased (ramping rates) have been attenuated since late 1992 to comply with provisions of the GCPA, EIS and ROD. ...
... Consistent with the functions described by other RF investigators (Shelby et al. 1992), the suitability versus discharge function was a skewed bell-curve with a broad apex (Fig. 6). Flows were insufficient for paddling up to the point where the boats would be floatable over the typical riffle sections. ...
... A smaller, but developing literature on flows for recreation more commonly focuses on "immediate" rather than long-term effects (Brown, Taylor, & Shelby, 1991;Whittaker et al., 1993;Whittaker, Shelby, & Gangemi, 2005). Most of this work addresses whitewater boating, although some studies have examined flow effects on general recreation (Duffield, Brown, & Allen, 1994;Narayanan, 1986), swimming , availability of beaches (Shelby, Brown, & Baumgartner, 1992), in-channel "slot canyon" hiking (Shelby, Whittaker, & Hansen, 1997), and general river aesthetics . ...
Instream flow affects biophysical habitat for aquatic species and “angler habitat” or “fishability.” Previous work speculates about flows that provide fishability, but without detailed information or analyses. This article presents anglers' normative flow evaluations for fishability on segments of eight Pacific Northwest rivers. Results show varying evaluations across rivers, with optimal fishing flows ranging from 5 to 118% of mean annual flow, and evaluations appear to be influenced by type of river segment, target species, and angling technique. This suggests comprehensive assessments will require case-specific information rather than applications of “rule-of-thumb” formulae. Findings also highlight potential differences between flow requirements for “angler habitat” versus “fish habitat.” Variables likely to influence fishability evaluations include effects that anglers can assess in social science research and effects that require biophysical studies. Fisheries management requires consideration of the full range of social and biophysical outputs and their potential trade-offs, an area requiring interdisciplinary research.
... That function accounted for 58% of the observed variation and also provided an estimate of the 'optimal flow' as about 40 m 3 /s. However, different respondents rated discharges from about 20 to 100 m 3 /s as 'just right' and this range of assessment is consistent with the knowledge that different paddlers favour different flows and also that there are differences across the types of boats (Shelby et al., 1992;Whittaker and Shelby, 2002). The plots of the RTRC data revealed that respondents generally provided the same ratings for 'water level general' and 'water level at rapids'. ...
Effective river regulation requires consideration for environmental and economic aspects and also for social aspects including recreation. Our study investigated relationships between river hydrology and recreational flows (RF) for canoes, kayaks, rafts and other non-motorized boats, for 27 river reaches in the Red Deer and Bow river basins of southern Alberta, Canada. A subjective RF method involved regression analyses of data from River Trip Report Cards, volunteer postcard-style surveys rating flow sufficiency. A total of 958 trip reports were submitted for the rivers between 1983 and 1997 and about 30 reports permitted confident regression analysis for a river reach. Values from these analyses were very consistent with values from the ‘depth discharge method’, a hydraulic modelling approach that used stage–discharge ratings to determine flows that would produce typical depths of 60 and 75 cm for minimal and preferred flows, respectively. Values were also consistent with expert opinions from river guidebooks and maps and aggregate values were calculated from the combined RF methods. These were very closely correlated with mean discharge (Qm) across the rivers (r2 = 0.94 for minimal and 0.96 for preferred flows). The relationship best fitted a power function (straight plot on log versus log scales) with a consistent slope but vertical offset for minimal versus preferred flows. Close relationships between guidebook estimates of RF and Qm were also observed for rivers in the American Rocky Mountain states of Idaho (r2 = 0.55 and 0.74), Montana (r2 = 0.34 and 0.80) and Colorado (r2 = 0.43 and 0.51), but the association was weaker for the Pacific Northwest state of Oregon (r2 = 0.35 and 0.26). These analyses indicate that RF can be confidently determined through a combination of subjective and hydraulic methods and reveal that RF values represent a systematic function of discharge for a broad range of alluvial and constrained river reaches. From these analyses we provide the ‘Alberta equation’: minimal recreational flow = 3 × Qm0.59 (Qm in m3/s), and preferred flows would typically be 1.5 times higher. For other river regions the exponent ‘0.59’ may be relatively constant but adjustments to the coefficient ‘3’ could be applicable. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A systematic quantitative literature review was conducted to assess the characteristics and gaps of the carrying capacity studies in Malaysia. Of the 13 academic papers identified, which were published from 2012 to 2021, results showed a ratio of 1.4 academic papers had been published in the nine years. Almost all the reviewed papers incorporated the elements of public enjoyment and were carried out by eliciting recreational resources, experiential, or managerial conditions. The gaps comprised the lack of carrying capacity studies in the recreation resources under the state and federal forestry department authority, despite being Malaysia's largest and most visited recreation resource networks. In addition, only two studies included the standards of carrying capacity. The indicators determined are most likely to be less specific and manageable, and a lack of attention has also been given to the managerial components of the carrying capacity. Lastly, most studies were conducted from the social science perspective, thus warranting more studies in the natural science discipline to formulate the indicators based on the changes happening to the ecological components of the recreation resources. The review provides recommendations for researchers and decision-makers on the future direction of carrying capacity study in Malaysia.
River flows connect people, places, and other forms of life, inspiring and sustaining diverse cultural beliefs, values, and ways of life. The concept of environmental flows provides a framework for improving understanding of relationships
between river flows and people, and for supporting those that are mutually beneficial. Nevertheless, most approaches to determining environmental flows remain
grounded in the biophysical sciences. The newly revised Brisbane Declaration
and Global Action Agenda on Environmental Flows (2018) represents a new
phase in environmental flow science and an opportunity to better consider the
co-constitution of river flows, ecosystems, and society, and to more explicitly
incorporate these relationships into river management. We synthesize understanding of relationships between people and rivers as conceived under the renewed
definition of environmental flows. We present case studies from Honduras, India,
Canada, New Zealand, and Australia that illustrate multidisciplinary, collaborative
efforts where recognizing and meeting diverse flow needs of human populations
was central to establishing environmental flow recommendations. We also review
a small body of literature to highlight examples of the diversity and interdependencies of human-flow relationships—such as the linkages between river flow and
human well-being, spiritual needs, cultural identity, and sense of place—that are
typically overlooked when environmental flows are assessed and negotiated.
Finally, we call for scientists and water managers to recognize the diversity of
ways of knowing, relating to, and utilizing rivers, and to place this recognition at
the center of future environmental flow assessments.
Research shows that varied flow regimes provide a diversity of aquatic species and life stages, create and maintain a diversity of channel features, and provide a diversity of 'niches' for recreational activities. Requests for water, however, typically specify distinct flows to be provided at specific times. Resulting 'managed flow requests,' often with a single flow identified per resource value, impose a relatively coarse and static managed flow regime that removes beneficial variation. There is a need for alternative request structures that substantially protect the diversity provided by natural regimes and yet allow some out-of-stream use. In this paper, we review the traditional managed flow request and two alternatives, exploring their ability to produce the range and quality of resource values provided by natural flow regimes. By applying data from a case study of recreational flow needs on Colorado's Dolores River, we illustrate three alternative flow management request structures (1) fixed time requests, (2) trigger requests, and (3) percentage-based requests. Results suggest that each type has advantages and disadvantages for protecting the diversity of high quality recreational opportunities, providing water for out-of-stream uses, or being administratively feasible. Discussion focuses on the appropriateness of different flow request structures for rivers with different characteristics. Trigger and percentage-based requests are offered as promising alternatives that are more likely to mimic natural regimes and thus protect important diversity. These new alternatives suggest a paradigm shift in flow protection strategies, a logical response to increased sophistication in the science of identifying relations between flows and resource values.
This article will highlight the relative influence of the physical, technical and symbolic factors in the creation and implementation of marketable products for river water sports. These products are offered in a "standardized" form which is specific to each company, concerning bank contact points. The products undergo a form of behavioral normalization of trajectories in the river.
Indicators and standards of quality have received in creasing attention in the field of parks and outdoor recreation. This study applied indicators and standards of quality to ski resort management. Based on a survey of skiers at four Vermont ski resorts, data are presented on standards of quality for 14 potential indicator variables. Study data were analyzed by level of skier ability and cluster analysis to help identify alternative skier markets based on standards of quality. Management and research implications of this study approach are discussed.
Instream flow can affect recreation quality and is a major issue on rivers where humans manage flows through dams and diversions. The structural norm approach offers a theoretical and methodological model for collecting, organizing, and analyzing evaluative information that relates flow and recreation quality. This article reviews work from several flow-recreation studies that have used this approach, extending it beyond social impact contexts and illustrating its adaptability to other natural resource issues. The article reviews the general structural norm approach and how it has been adapted to examine instream flows for recreation, and provides a list of studies that have utilized it. A review of methods issues describes study types, question formats, and purposive sampling. A review of key findings focuses on incremental relationships between flows and recreation quality, differences in evaluations by craft, skill level, or type of opportunity, the concept that recreation opportunities occupy niches in the flow regime, and emerging hypotheses about relationships between flows and aesthetics.
The normative approach in natural resource management illustrates the progress that has been made in advancing theory and application in outdoor recreation research. This article integrates findings from a number of different studies to highlight the utility of the normative approach and provide an example of how efforts focused on a particular theoretical approach can enhance the quality of scientific research. Findings from both social and ecological impact studies are examined. Topics include norms for encounters, ecological impacts, aesthetic impacts, and instream flows. A number of considerations for future research are presented, including the definition of norms, norm salience, norm consensus, question construction, and statistics for measuring norms.
Environmental flows refer to the facets of natural flow regimes that are required to sustain riparian and aquatic life in a healthy condition, plus provide for the needs of those human uses that rely on, and do not compromise, stream health values. Environmental flow assessments are required for regulated rivers, where the flow regime has been modified, or flow volumes significantly reduced. The methodological trend has been from narrow studies that catered for a single fish species at one critical life phase to a holistic approach that aims to restore natural river processes. Consideration has also been given to the specific issues of flood flows required for wetland inundation and channel formation, needs of groundwater-dependent ecosystems, the needs of estuarine ecosystems, and flows required for recreational activities. Holistic methodologies are particularly appropriate in developing countries with strong livelihood dependencies on the goods and services provided by aquatic ecosystems. The number of studies worldwide that report environmental flow recommendations greatly outweighs the number of studies that report scientific evaluation of the results of implementation of these recommendations. However, where implemented environmental flow regimes have been monitored, the results have generally been positive.
Contingent-valuation estimates for white-water boating passengers are compared with Likert ratings by river guides. The approach involves asking whether passengers and their guides ordinally rank alternative flows the same. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Contingent Valuation Panel (1993) suggested "one might want to compare its (contingent-valuation's) outcome with that provided by a panel of experts." River guides constitute a counterfactual panel of "experts." For commercial trips, optimum flows are 34,000 cfs and 31,000 cfs for passengers and guides, and the comparable figures for private trips are 28,000 cfs and 29,000 cfs. In the NOAA Panel framework, passengers can evaluate the consequences of various river flows and translate this into contingent-valuation responses.
This paper develops a multiple bounded discrete choice elicitation technique that allows respondents to express their level of voting certainty for a wide range of referendum thresholds. The paper concludes with the results of an empirical study comparing values obtained from a multiple bounded model with values derived from three standard contingent valuation elicitation formats: dichotomous choice, payment card, and open-ended. The multiple bounded discrete choice format covers the range of values associated with the other three predominantly used elicitation methods. Moreover, alternative parameterizations of the multiple bounded discrete choice model correspond to these standard elicitation techniques.
ResearchGate has not been able to resolve any references for this publication.