American Whitewater carried out an online River Stewardship Survey for several months in the fall of 2005, using a service called Survey Monkey. We alerted paddlers to the survey on our website, regional message boards, and through emailing our affiliate clubs. Our intention was to cast a broad National net, with the goal of receiving responses from a cross section of the paddling community. The survey was targeted at paddlers who use online resources such as websites, message boards, and email. A total of 530 individuals took the survey from around the country.
Paddlers were asked demographic questions, and were asked to share their opinions on river management, environmental impacts, sense of place, activism, safety, and American Whitewater. The results provide valuable insight into a subset of the paddling community’s perceptions on these important topics. The results will be useful for American Whitewater’s river stewardship program, and also to the greater river management community.
Executive Summary
American Whitewater carried out an online River Stewardship Survey for several months in the fall of 2005, using a service called Survey Monkey. We alerted paddlers to the survey on our website, regional message boards, and through emailing our affiliate clubs. Our intention was to cast a broad National net, with the goal of receiving responses from a cross section of the paddling community. The survey was targeted at paddlers who use online resources such as websites, message boards, and email. A total of 530 individuals took the survey. The largest proportion of respondents are from the Southeast (26.6%), followed closely by the Pacific Northwest (24.9%), and the Rocky Mountain West (21.5%).
Eighty-eight percent of respondents are male and 12% are female. California, and the Pacific Northwest have proportionally more female paddlers, and the Rocky-Mountain West, Northeast and Midwest have fewer female paddlers. Respondents have a mean age of 35 and ranged from 14 to 72 years old. Kayakers had a younger mean age than canoeists (mean ages 34, and 41). The Pacific Northwest (mean age 38) had significantly older paddlers than the Rocky Mountain West (mean age 32). Overall, respondents are highly educated. The majority of respondents have a bachelor’s degree or higher (73%). The majority of respondents report voting with the Democratic Party (62%), followed by ‘other’ parties (21%) and finally the Republican Party (20%).
The majority of respondents use kayaks (88%). The second most popular craft is a raft or cataraft (24%), followed by a canoe (18%). The largest proportion of respondents (59.9%) has been boating more than 5 years. The average number of days paddled for all respondents is 61 days annually, or almost two months out of the year. The greatest number of respondents prefer boating class IV whitewater (46%), followed by class III (30%), and then class V (15%). When asked what other activities they enjoy, the largest portion of respondents enjoys hiking (71%), followed by mountain biking (56%) and backpacking (56%).
Sense of place theorists would assert that respondents are more attached to their rivers for identity purposes than for activity purposes. The two place attachment items that respondents scored lowest on reflect the construct place dependence, which is considered to be the more activity-oriented place attachment construct. Respondents scored higher on the seven items corresponding to the construct place identity, which reflects place as part of one’s self. Compared with other studies of other user groups, paddlers scores for place attachment were among the highest. Respondents living in the Southeast have significantly higher place attachment then respondents living in the Pacific Northwest.
When asked about crowding on a favorite river, the majority of respondents were not crowded (58%), and of those who were crowded the majority were only slightly crowded (17%). Between 85% and 90% of respondents were concerned with water quality, disruption and development of surrounding lands, wildlife, and amount of trash. Southeasterners are significantly more concerned with pollution (trash, human waste, and water quality) than those in the Pacific Northwest and Rocky Mountain West. Less than 40% of all respondents were concerned with competition for camps, crowding at rapids, and lack of patrol/enforcement. Analysis shows that Californians are less concerned about crowding than those in the Pacific Northwest, Rocky Mountain West and Southeast. Respondents living in the Northeast feel significantly more crowded than those in California and the Pacific Northwest.
Ninety four percent of all respondents felt it was somewhat or very important that they minimize their own impacts while boating. Of self reported impacts, portaging off-trail was most common and littering ranked among the least common. The majority of respondents (85% and 72%) reported that they had not gone without a toilet when required to do so on either a day or over night stretch(11% were not aware of any regulations on a day stretch). Of those who did not bring toilets, space and weight issues were the most common justifications. Respondents from the northeast score higher on the ‘dislike for portable toilets scale’ than those in California, Pacific Northwest and the Rocky Mountain west. Californians report significantly more impacts than those living in the Pacific Northwest, Rocky Mountain West, Southeast and Northeast.
Respondents offered a great deal of information about permit applications and success rates. Respondents indicated that the Grand Canyon was the most difficult permit system to use and the least fair, and that Cataract Canyon was the easiest to understand and fairest. The Smith, Merced, and Grand Canyon were the only permits that averaged less than “neither fair or unfair.” Respondents have the most support for ‘first come/first serve’ followed closely by ‘reservations/waiting list, ‘lottery’ and ‘weighted lottery.’ Respondents show the least amount of support for the ‘pricing’ model of permit allocation.
When asked about their support for new use restrictions on existing unrestricted overnight reaches, the majority of respondents marked that they would not support limits because there is not current need (56%), 21% said they would maybe support limits if done right, and only 8% stated that they would always want unlimited access. Of new possible restrictions, respondents were most amenable to non-motorized segments or times, and least supportive of permit systems and use restrictions. In cases where river management funds are needed, respondents were most supportive of voluntary donations on-site (mean=4.26) and least supportive of statewide boat registration (mean=1.66).
When asked what they might do if their favorite river’s ecological and scenic values were threatened, respondents reported that they were likely to take action. The mean score was between somewhat and extremely likely for actions ‘join/form a group,’ ‘write a letter,’ and ‘vote for legislation.’ Respondents living in the Southeast are more likely to act than those living in the Northeast. When given a choice of 7 river stewardship activities, respondents were most willing to volunteer for a stream clean-up (97%) and least willing to volunteer for invasive species elimination. Thirty-four percent said they had volunteered zero days in the last 12 months, and sixty-six percent indicated one or more days. When asked how many days they would volunteer if fulfilling opportunities existed 98% responded that they would volunteer at least one day, with the largest proportion of these indicating they would volunteer 2 days.
When asked about their motivations for paddling, respondents agree most with the statements ‘I paddle because it’s fun,’ ‘I paddle to relax/escape,’ and ‘I paddle to experience nature.’ The majority of respondents (84%) prefer running longer stretches, while 6% prefer park and play. Fifty-seven percent prefer remote sections and 19% prefer convenient ones.
Respondents indicated that a throw bag and float bags are the two most frequently carried pieces of equipment (95% and 80%) and least frequently carried pieces of equipment are a pin/wrap kit and tow system (41% and 45% carry them). On average, respondents indicated they carry and feel comfortable using safety equipment. When asked how often they did seven potential actions commonly assumed to increase risk while on the water, the only action that respondents (on average) reported that they did more than ‘never’ or ‘rarely’ was solo boat.
The majority of survey respondents (55%) are members of American Whitewater and 64% are a member of some type of group. Seventy-nine percent of respondents use the AW website. Respondents asked if they agreed with nine statements about American Whitewater. The highest percentage of respondents agree with the statement “I would volunteer for AW if asked”. Respondents disagree most strongly with the statements ‘AW is too environmentally focused’ (73% disagree, 6% agree), and ‘AW’s politics are too liberal’ (65% disagree, 9% agree). Of respondents, 37% had donated to AW, 24% had volunteered for AW, and 83% had paddled a river AW had worked on. AW had made 14% of respondents mad, and AW had not fulfilled the expectations of 10%.
Based on recommendations in the AW website and/or journal 58% attended an event, 48% had written a letter on a local issue, 42% had written a letter on a national issue, and 21% had called their representative. When asked about the stewardship program, 73% felt that the program’s current efforts are valuable to them and 61% support AW because of the program. Only 20% of respondents agreed with the statement “the program should be volunteer driven rather than staff driven.” Only 13% agreed with the statement: “The program should focus more on environmental issues than access issues”
You may also read the full River Stewardship Survey Report in several days when our website is fully restored.