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Recreational Use Assessment Alcoa Power Generating Inc. Yadkin Division Yadkin Project Relicensing (FERC No. 2197) Recreational Use Assessment Draft Report December 2004 Prepared by ERM TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ......................................................................................... ES-i 1.0 INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................1 2.0 METHODOLOGY ................................................................................................3 2.1 Data Collection...........................................................................................3 2.1.1 Spot Counts......................................................................................5 2.1.2 Visitor Use Surveys.........................................................................7 2.1.3 Tailwater Use Survey.....................................................................10 2.1.4 Canoe/Kayak Registry...................................................................11 2.1.5 Resident Use Survey......................................................................11 2.1.6 Private Community Use Survey.....................................................13 2.1.7 Business and Organization Survey ................................................15 2.1.8 Uwharrie National Forest Survey ..................................................16 2.1.9 Aerial Photographs.........................................................................16 2.2 Recreational Use Data Analysis..............................................................18 2.2.1 Public Access Recreational Use.....................................................18 2.2.2 Waterfront Resident Recreational Use...........................................20 2.2.3 Private Community Recreational Use............................................23 2.2.4 Commercial Business and Private Organization Recreation Use..24 2.2.5 Canoe/Kayak Portage Recreational Use ........................................25 2.3 Reservoir Water Levels...........................................................................26 2.3.1 Precipitation ...................................................................................26 2.3.2 Reservoir Water Elevations ...........................................................28 2.3.3 Summary........................................................................................28 3.0 CONSULTATION ...............................................................................................31 4.0 RECREATIONAL USE ASSESSMENT...........................................................32 4.1 Recreational User Profile ........................................................................32 4.1.1 Age and Gender .............................................................................32 4.1.2 Place of Residence .........................................................................32 4.1.3 Overnight Stay Location................................................................33 4.2 High Rock Development Recreational Use............................................34 4.2.1 Recreational Facility Condition .....................................................36 4.2.2 Recreational Activities...................................................................40 4.2.3 Recreational Use............................................................................43 4.2.4 Recreational Facility Capacity.......................................................47 4.2.5 Recreational Issues.........................................................................50 4.3 Tuckertown Development Recreational Use .........................................55 4.3.1 Recreational Facility Condition .....................................................55 4.3.2 Recreational Activities...................................................................61 4.3.3 Recreational Use............................................................................61 4.3.4 Recreational Facility Capacity.......................................................65 4.3.5 Recreational Issues.........................................................................67 ERM i Recreational Use Assessment December 2004 4.4 Narrows Development Recreational Use ...............................................71 4.4.1 Recreational Facility Condition .....................................................71 4.4.2 Recreational Activities...................................................................76 4.4.3 Recreational Use............................................................................78 4.4.4 Recreational Facility Capacity.......................................................82 4.4.5 Recreational Issues.........................................................................85 4.5 Falls Development Recreational Use......................................................90 4.5.1 Recreational Facility Condition .....................................................90 4.5.2 Recreational Activities...................................................................94 4.5.3 Recreational Use............................................................................94 4.5.4 Recreational Facility Capacity.......................................................97 4.5.5 Recreational Issues.........................................................................98 4.6 Total Project Recreational Use.............................................................100 4.6.1 Total Current Yadkin Project Recreation Use .............................100 4.6.2 Previous Recreational Use Studies ..............................................100 4.6.3 Comparison of Results of Existing Study with Prior Studies......101 5.0 RECREATIONAL CARRYING CAPACITY................................................108 5.1 Physical Carrying Capacity ..................................................................108 5.2 Social Carrying Capacity ......................................................................110 5.2.1 High Rock Reservoir....................................................................110 5.2.2 Tuckertown Reservoir..................................................................114 5.2.3 Narrows Reservoir.......................................................................119 5.2.4 Falls Reservoir.............................................................................124 5.3 Overall Carrying Capacity....................................................................132 5.3.1 High Rock Reservoir....................................................................132 5.3.2 Tuckertown Reservoir..................................................................133 5.3.3 Narrows Reservoir.......................................................................133 5.3.4 Falls Reservoir.............................................................................134 5.4 Recreational Use Trends .......................................................................135 5.4.1 Demographic Changes.................................................................135 5.4.2 Recreational Use Trends..............................................................136 5.5 Future Recreational Use Projections ...................................................138 5.6 Comparison of Carrying Capacity with Future Recreational Use Projections ..............................................................................................139 6.0 UWHARRIE NATIONAL FOREST RECREATION USE ..........................140 6.1 Reservoir Visitation...............................................................................140 6.2 Recreation Experience...........................................................................140 6.3 Crowding Distances...............................................................................141 6.4 Principal Reasons to Visit .....................................................................142 6.5 Alternative Recreation Areas................................................................142 7.0 TAILWATER USE ASSESSMENT ................................................................143 7.1 Physical Description...............................................................................143 7.2 Existing Recreational Use of Project Tailwaters.................................151 ERM ii Recreational Use Assessment December 2004 7.3 Potential Recreational Issues................................................................157 7.3.1 High Rock Dam Tailwaters .........................................................157 7.3.2 Tuckertown Dam Tailwaters........................................................158 7.3.3 Narrows Dam Tailwaters .............................................................158 7.3.4 Falls Dam Tailwaters ...................................................................158 7.4 Effects of Project Operations................................................................159 8.0 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS...........................................160 8.1 Conclusions.............................................................................................160 8.1.1 Recreational Use Levels and Carrying Capacity .........................160 8.1.2 Recreational Activities.................................................................160 8.1.3 Seasonality of Recreational Use ..................................................161 8.1.4 Recreational Issues.......................................................................161 8.1.5 Resident versus Visitor
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