1999/2000 RECREATIONAL USE ASSESSMENT STUDY REPORT Final ROCKY REACH HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT FERC Project No. 2145 March 2, 2001 Prepared for: Public Utility District No. 1 of Chelan County Wenatchee, Washington Prepared by: Howe Consulting, Inc. Seattle, Washington and Duke Engineering & Services, Inc. Bothell, Washington Recreational Use Assessment TABLE OF CONTENTS SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................1-1 1.1 Background....................................................................................................................................... 1-1 1.2 Project Location................................................................................................................................ 1-1 1.3 The Columbia River.......................................................................................................................... 1-3 1.4 Physical Setting................................................................................................................................. 1-3 1.5 Climate.............................................................................................................................................. 1-3 1.6 Regional Economy............................................................................................................................ 1-3 1.7 Regional Population.......................................................................................................................... 1-3 1.8 Current Land Use.............................................................................................................................. 1-4 1.9 Current Recreational Development................................................................................................... 1-4 SECTION 2: STUDY GOALS AND OBJECTIVES ......................................................2-1 SECTION 3: STUDY AREA .........................................................................................3-1 SECTION 4: METHODOLOGY....................................................................................4-1 4.1 Secondary Data ................................................................................................................................. 4-1 4.2 Instantaneous Counts by Car (Car Runs) .......................................................................................... 4-1 4.3 Instantaneous Counts by Boat (Boat Runs)....................................................................................... 4-2 4.4 On-site Interviews ............................................................................................................................. 4-2 4.5 Entiat Park and USFS Surveys.......................................................................................................... 4-3 SECTION 5: RESULTS................................................................................................5-1 5.1 Estimates of Use at Public Recreation Sites...................................................................................... 5-1 5.2 Recreation Use on Rocky Reach Reservoir (Lake Entiat)............................................................... 5-43 5.3 Visitor Demographics ..................................................................................................................... 5-55 5.4 Visitor Satisfaction.......................................................................................................................... 5-58 5.5 Visitor Spending ............................................................................................................................. 5-61 5.6 How Long Visitors Stay.................................................................................................................. 5-62 5.7 How Often People Visit Rocky Reach Project Area ....................................................................... 5-62 5.8 Recreation Use Related to Day, Season, and Weather.................................................................... 5-62 5.9 Displaced Use and Relationship with Upper Entiat Valley USFS sites .......................................... 5-64 SECTION 6: SUMMARY..............................................................................................6-1 6.1 Monitoring Overview........................................................................................................................ 6-1 6.2 Distribution of Recreation Use.......................................................................................................... 6-1 6.3 Estimated use versus Estimated Physical Capacity ........................................................................... 6-1 6.4 Activities........................................................................................................................................... 6-2 6.5 Watercraft Use .................................................................................................................................. 6-2 6.6 Dispersed Shoreline Use ................................................................................................................... 6-2 6.7 Angling Activity................................................................................................................................ 6-2 6.8 Visitor Demographics ....................................................................................................................... 6-2 6.9 Visitor Spending ............................................................................................................................... 6-3 6.10 Visitor Satisfaction.......................................................................................................................... 6-3 6.11 Displaced Use ................................................................................................................................. 6-3 6.12 Conclusion ...................................................................................................................................... 6-3 SECTION 7: REFERENCES........................................................................................7-1 Final Study Report Rocky Reach Project No. 2145 March 2, 2001 Page i SS/2434 Recreational Use Assessment LIST OF TABLES Table 1-1: Historical Overview of Recreation Developments.................................................................................... 1-5 Table 5-1: Rocky Reach Project Visitor Counts - Based on Traffic Counters1......................................................... 5-2 Table 5-2: Estimated Average Daily Use (Peak-Season - May 30 to September 9, 1999)......................................... 5-5 Table 5-3: Estimated Average Daily Use (Off-Season) ............................................................................................. 5-6 Table 5-4: Estimated Average Daily Use by Activity at Public Recreation Sites .................................................... 5-43 Table 5-5: Average # of Peak-Season (2000) Watercraft Observed (Weekdays) .................................................... 5-45 Table 5-6: Average # of Peak-Season (2000) Watercraft Observed (Weekends) .................................................... 5-46 Table 5-7: Watercraft Observed During Busiest Observation Day (July 2, 2000)................................................... 5-47 Table 5-8: Fall-Season (1999) Watercraft Observed (Weekend)............................................................................. 5-48 Table 5-9: Spring-Season (2000) Watercraft Observed (Weekday) ........................................................................ 5-49 Table 5-10: Spring-Season (2000) Watercraft Observed (Weekend) ...................................................................... 5-49 Table 5-11: Average # of Watercraft Observed (Peak-Weekdays) vs. Recommended Standards ........................... 5-50 Table 5-12: Average # of Watercraft Observed (Peak-Weekends) vs. Recommended Standards ........................... 5-51 Table 5-13: Watercraft Observed During Busiest Observation Day (July 2, 2000) vs. Recommended Standards .. 5-51 Table 5-14: Peak-Season (2000) Shoreline Activity (Weekdays and Weekends).................................................... 5-53 Table 5-15: Displaced Use - Recreation Site Interviews.......................................................................................... 5-65 Table 5-16: Displaced Use - Entiat Park Surveys .................................................................................................... 5-67 Table 5-17: Displaced Use - USFS Campground Surveys....................................................................................... 5-68 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1-1: Project Location Map.............................................................................................................................. 1-2 Figure 5-1: Distribution of Use - Peak-Season......................................................................................................... 5-33 Figure 5-2: Distribution of Use - Fall-Season .......................................................................................................... 5-33 Figure 5-3: Distribution of Use - Spring-Season...................................................................................................... 5-34 Figure 5-4: Visitor Use vs. Estimated Capacity - Peak-Season...............................................................................