Statewide Fisheries Investigations Federal Aid Project FW-100-P-23 2013 Arizona Angler User Days, Fishing Economics and Angler Demographics Technical Report 15-02 Fisheries Branch Special Report 2015 PROJECT FUNDING Funding for this project was provided through fishing license revenues and the Sport Fish Restoration Act, a program administered by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Federal Aid. RECOMMENDED CITATION Fisheries Branch. 2015. 2013 Arizona Angler User Days, Fishing Economics and Angler Demographics, Federal Aid Project FW-100-P-23. Arizona Game and Fish Department, Phoenix Arizona. The Arizona Game and Fish Department prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, age, disability in its programs and activities. If anyone believes they have been discriminated against in any of the AGFD’s programs or activities, including its employment practices, the individual may file a complaint alleging discrimination directly with the AGFD Deputy Director, 5000 W. Carefree Highway, Phoenix, Arizona 85086, (602) 942-3000 or U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4040 N. Fairfax Dr., Ste. 130, Arlington, VA 22203. If you require this document in an alternative format, please contact the AGFD Deputy Director as listed above or by calling TTY at 1-800 367-8939. i TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Summary....................................................................................................................... 1 Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 2 Methods ......................................................................................................................................... 3 Calculation ............................................................................................................................... 3 Results and Discussion .................................................................................................................. 5 Angler User Days .................................................................................................................... 5 Fishing Recreation Economics ................................................................................................ 6 Angler Characteristics and Demographics.............................................................................. 7 Management Recommendations ................................................................................................... 8 Literature Cited .............................................................................................................................. 10 Tables ............................................................................................................................................. 11 Table 1. Arizona Counties and Department Fishing Licenses in 2013 .................................. 11 Table 2. Examples of Angler User Day Calculations – Arizona and Roosevelt Lake ........... 11 Table 3. RIMS II Economic Model Outputs........................................................................... 12 Table 4. Estimated Angler User Days (x1000) by survey year .............................................. 12 Table 5. Top 10 Waters ranked by Total Angler User Days (AUD) for 2001 and 2013 ....... 12 Table 6. Top 10 Waters ranked by Trout Angler User Days (AUD) for 2001 and 2013 ...... 12 Table 7. Top 10 Waters ranked by Non-Trout Angler User Days for 2001 and 2013 ........... 13 Table 8. 2013 Angler User Days by Arizona Game and Fish Department Regions .............. 13 Table 9. 2013 Angler User Days by USGS 6 Digit Hydrologic Unit Code Watershed ........ 13 Table 10. Economic Impact of Fishing in Arizona, 2001 and 2013 ....................................... 14 Table 11. Descriptive statistics for fishing trips and days per trip for 2001 and 2013 ........... 14 Table 12. Number of waters fished by anglers in 2001 and 2013 .......................................... 14 Table 13. Mean and median age by gender for individuals who fished by survey year ........ 14 Table 14. 2013 Arizona angler and State population age group comparison ......................... 15 Table 15. 2013 Arizona angler and State population ethnicity comparison ........................... 15 Table 16. 2013 Arizona angler and State population household income comparison ....... 15 Table 17. Top 20 Arizona city residencies of anglers who fished in 2001 and 2013 ............ 16 Table 18. Top 10 State residencies of anglers who fished in 2001 and 2013 ........................ 16 Figures ........................................................................................................................................... 17 Figure 1. Trout/Non-Trout angling proportions by survey year ........................................... 17 Figure 2. Mean and Median Days Fished by survey year .................................................. 17 Figure 3. Female/Male proportions by survey year for individuals who fished ................ 17 Figure 4. Nonresident/Resident percentages by survey year for individuals who fished ...... 18 Appendixes .................................................................................................................................... 19 ii Appendix A. State of Arizona 2013 Angling Summary ................................................................ 19 Appendix B. 2013 Angling Summary by Arizona County ........................................................... 21 Appendix C. 2013 Angling Summary by Arizona Game and Fish Department Region ............ 49 Appendix D. 2013 Angling Summary by Six Digit USGS Hydrological Unit Code ................. 61 Appendix E. Community Fishing Program 2013 Angling Summary ........................................... 87 Appendix F. 2013 Angling Summary by the Top 32 State Waters ............................................... 89 Appendix G. 2013 Estimated Angler User Days by State Water .................................................. 155 Appendix H. State Waters Ranked by the 2013 Estimated Angler User Days ............................ 159 Appendix I. 2013 Estimated Angler User Days by Arizona County ............................................ 163 Appendix J. 2013 Estimated Angler User Days by Arizona Game & Fish Dept. Region ......... 171 Appendix K. 2013 Estimated Angler User Days by USGS 6 Digit Hydrological Unit Code ... 177 Appendix L. 2013 Angler Survey – Days Fished Statistics by State Water & Residency ......... 185 Appendix M. 2013 Angler User Days by State Water and County with Economic Values ...... 189 iii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The participation estimates and descriptive statistics presented in this report are informational tools to be used by fisheries managers. Facets of this data influence the Departments’ Sportfish planning efforts and prioritization exercises at a State, watershed or regional level. As such, there are no hypotheses to test statistically. Since the start of these statewide angler surveys in 1986; angler use indicators along with other basic information has been collected. Outlined below are key trends and findings from this and past angler surveys: • Angler user days peaked in 1992 at 7.4 million. The 2013 estimate of 6 million shows a decline in activity; however this estimate is an increase of 900,000 from the low of 5.1 million AUD in 2001. Declining license sales, increase in travel costs, competition with other recreational activities, drought conditions and the economic recession are all possible influences in the decline of fishing recreation since 1992. • The proportion of trout to non-trout fishing in Arizona has remained relatively consistent since the start of these surveys through 2001 with an average of 27 percent and 73 percent respectively. In 2013 a shift occurred with an increase of 9 percentage points in trout angling (36%). This increase in trout fishing recreation may have been affected by the growth in both the State fish hatchery output and Community Fishing Program locations. It should be noted that the change in the 2013 angler survey questionnaire may have influenced the results. • Just under one fifth (18%) of the fishing activity in 2013 come from the top three waters of Roosevelt Lake, Lake Pleasant and Saguaro Lake. Forty eight percent of all angling recreation comes from the top 10 waters in Arizona. • The population in Arizona is concentrated in the Phoenix metropolitan area, and is associated with several major water projects. Angler use coincides with these two key variables. Five of the top 10 waters in 2013 are within a two hour trip length from the Phoenix area. This was also observed in 2001; anglers take advantage of fishing opportunities close to home. • The Departments’ Region VI which includes the Phoenix metropolitan area provides 42 percent of the overall fishing recreation in the State. This Region also supplies the bulk of the warmwater angling with 2 million AUD. As expected, the White Mountain area (Region I) produces most of the States’ trout fishing at 842,000 angler user days (39%). • Twenty seven percent or 1.6 million AUD occur within the Salt River (150601) drainage. This watershed, along with the Lower Colorado (150301) is responsible for 50 percent of the warmwater fishing activity. One third of all trout angling (700,677 AUD) comes from the Little Colorado River (150200) system. • The Departments’ Community Fishing Program (formally the Urban Fishing Program) has played an important role