Claytor Lake Project No. 739 Recreation Assessment

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Claytor Lake Project No. 739Recreation
Assessment Angler Use Survey StudyKickoff
Meeting
January 24, 2007
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Presentation Agenda

• Experience
• Objectives
• Relicensing Relevance
• Geographic and Temporal Scope
• Methods
• Recreation Use Assessment
• Angler Use Survey
• Study Schedule

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Recreation and Angler Use Qualifications and
Experience

• Smith Mountain Lake Project, VA, AEP
• Keowee-Toxaway Project, SC, Duke Energy
• Upper Chattooga River GA, SC NC, USDA Forest
  Service
• Catawba-Wateree Project, NC SC, Duke Energy
• Spokane River Project/Coeur dAlene Lake, ID
  WA, Avista
• Lake of the Ozarks/Osage Project, MO, AmerenUE
• Holyoke Project, MA, Holyoke Water Power Company
• Fifteen Miles Falls Project VT NH, TransCanada
  Hydro Northeast

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Recreation Use Study Overall Study Objectives

• Document facilities and activities
• Collect information on use, user preferences, and
  user perceptions
• Forecast recreational use numbers and activity
  trends over the term of an anticipated license
• Characterize typical boating densities on the
  lake

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Recreation Use StudyRelicensing Relevance

• Recreation
• The information obtained from the study will be
  the basis for determining whether or not
  additional recreational facilities are needed,
  what those facilities should be, if required, and
  where to best locate the facilities.
• Angler Use
• Study results will be useful relative to
  operational and management decisions

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Recreation Use Study Geographic Temporal Scope

• Data collection efforts at the lake will include
  areas within the project boundary for the Claytor
  Lake Project and extend to public access areas
  below the dam along the New River to the U.S.
  Hwy. 460 Bridge near Glen Lyn, VA.
• The study will also assess and consider regional
  recreation resources within 60 miles of the
  Project.
• Field work scheduled between March 1 through
  November 30th, 2007

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New River (VDGIF)
Dublin Public Access
Claytor Dam Picnic Area
Harry DeHaven Co. Park)
Rock House Marine
Claytor Lake S.P.
Conrad Bros. Marine
Lowmans Ferry
New River Trail S.P.
Allisonia (VDGIF)
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Rich Creek (VDGIF)
Glen Lyn
Narrows 2 (Lurich Rd)
Narrows 1 (Lurich Rd)
Bluff City
Ripplemead
Pembroke
Lower Zone
Eggleston
McCoy
Middle Zone
Whitehorne (VDGIF)
Peppers Ferry Bridge (Rt 114)
Upper Zone
Dudleys Landing
Riverview Park
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Recreation Assessment Study Components

• Facility Inventory
• Existing Use Activity Estimates
• Future Use Activity Estimates
• Boating Density

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Recreation Assessment Study Facility Inventory
- Methods

• Conduct site visits to each publicly accessible
  site at the Project to document the facilities
  and resources
• Identify and characterize the public facilities
  and amenities at each site
• GPS Photographs

Allisonia Public Boat Ramp
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Recreation Assessment Study Use and Needs
Assessment - Methods

• Existing Public Use - traffic counts, spot
  counts, and interviews.
• Shoreline Resident Use - mailed questionnaire.
• Potential Visitors - mailed questionnaire.
• Use from other shoreline operators, e.g. publicly
  accessible marinas, home owner association
  marinas, state parks, etc. - interviews and/or
  spot counts.

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Recreation Use StudyPublic Use Sampling Effort

• Claytor Lake Access Point Interview and Spot
  Counts
• March 1 to November 30
• 20 days/month
• 14 weekdays, 6 weekend days
• 2 zones (1C.L.S.P., Dublin, Harry DeHaven,
  Below the Dam, Dam Picnic Area 2 Rock House,
  Conrad Bros., Lowmans Ferry, Allisonia) equal
  weight
• AM or PM focus start time considers day length

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Recreation Use StudyNew River Sampling Effort

• River Access Point Interviews and Spot Counts
• Public Boat Launch Sites (13 Total)
• March 1 to November 30
• 9 days/month
• 3 zones
• equal weight probabilities between zones
• 6 weekend/3 weekdays
• 8 hr sampling day
• Time at each access point is sampling day length
  minus driving time (equal time at each site)
• Start time will focus the study on either AM or
  PM equal weight

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Recreation Assessment Study Future Recreational
Use Assessment - Methods

• Future recreation demand will be assessed in
  10-year increments out to 2050.
• Growth in recreation activities projections will
  be from Outdoor Recreation in American Life A
  National Assessment of Demand and Supply Trends
  by Cordell et. al., 1999.
• VA population and recreation trend estimates will
  be evaluated within the context of Cordells
  future use predictions.

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Recreation Assessment Study Existing Boating
Density Analysis - Methods

• Aerial photographs of watercraft
• Project area 11 days between Memorial Day and
  Labor Day.
• New River 3 days near the start of sampling in
  April, in mid summer, and after Labor Day.
• A stratified random sampling weekdays, weekends,
  and holidays.
• The boats will be digitized off of the
  photographs and entered into a GIS for analysis.

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Angler Use Survey StudyObjectives

• To Quantify
• Angler Use (Effort, Catch, Harvest)
• Demographics
• Expenditures

Lowmans Ferry/Lighthouse Boat Launch
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Angler Use Survey StudyMethods

• A roving creel survey on Claytor Lake and an
  access point survey at the area directly below
  Claytor dam.
• Interviews and instantaneous count
• 2 sampling zones (all on water anglers as well as
  bank/pier anglers at S.P. and Harry DeHaven
  County Park.
• Monthly zone weights developed in consultation
  with VDGIF
• 5 weekdays/5 weekend days all holidays sampled.
• AM/PM start times weighted 0.3/0.7 respectively

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Angler Use Survey StudyMethods

• The interview will follow similar surveys by
  VDGIF and be developed in consultation with VDGIF
• Angler effort, catch, and harvest
• Species preference
• Angler demographics
• Trip expenditures and within 20 miles
• Consumer surplus
• Awareness of VDH fish consumption advisories and
  resulting changes in fishing habits
• Striped bass and hybrid striped bass angler size
  preferences

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Recreation and Angler Use StudyExpected Results

• Inventory of sites and opportunities within the
  Project
• Visitor profile information
• Characterization of use, activities, and
  preferences
• Expected changes in recreation activity at the
  Project for next 50 years
• Characterization of boating density
• Angler effort, catch, and harvest
• Species preferences

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Recreation Use StudySchedule

• Pre-study meeting February 2007
• Begin field work March 1, 2007
• Study Plan progress updates May November 2007
• Field work ends November 30, 2007
• Draft report January 2008

Lowmans Ferry Bridge, Claytor Lake
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Questions?
View New River from Eggleston Bridge, looking
upstream