A Boatable Days Framework for Quantifying Whitewater Recreation—Insights from Three Appalachian Whitewater Rivers
Outdoor recreation is one of the fastest-growing economic sectors in the United States and is being used by communities to support economic development, social prosperity, and environmental protection. For communities that have whitewater rivers, whitewater recreation provides a powerful economic al...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2024-04-01
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| Series: | Water |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/16/7/1060 |
| _version_ | 1797211876496506880 |
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| author | Nicolas Zegre Melissa Shafer Danny Twilley Greg Corio Michael P. Strager Jacquelyn M. Strager Paul Kinder |
| author_facet | Nicolas Zegre Melissa Shafer Danny Twilley Greg Corio Michael P. Strager Jacquelyn M. Strager Paul Kinder |
| author_sort | Nicolas Zegre |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Outdoor recreation is one of the fastest-growing economic sectors in the United States and is being used by communities to support economic development, social prosperity, and environmental protection. For communities that have whitewater rivers, whitewater recreation provides a powerful economic alternative to ailing extractive and manufacturing industries that have long dominated rural communities. In order to promulgate a whitewater recreation-based economy, stakeholders need information about their whitewater resources, including how often and when they can be paddled. The overall goal of this study, therefore, was to develop an analytical framework that quantifies boatable days, that is, the number of days that streamflow exceeds the minimum boatable flow levels needed to paddle downstream. Importantly, our framework uses publicly available streamflow and minimum boatable flow information that can be used to quantify boatable days for any whitewater run in the country, irrespective of watershed size or river flashiness. We applied the framework to three world-class whitewater rivers in the central Appalachian Mountains, USA, and found abundant and stable boating opportunities throughout the year. Our results underscore the potential for strategically developing whitewater recreation as a means of economic diversification and highlight how boatable days analysis can be used for quantifying whitewater resources. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T10:33:27Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5311cf046339453f829fb34acd06f3af |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4441 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T10:33:27Z |
| publishDate | 2024-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Water |
| spelling | doaj.art-5311cf046339453f829fb34acd06f3af2024-04-12T13:27:18ZengMDPI AGWater2073-44412024-04-01167106010.3390/w16071060A Boatable Days Framework for Quantifying Whitewater Recreation—Insights from Three Appalachian Whitewater RiversNicolas Zegre0Melissa Shafer1Danny Twilley2Greg Corio3Michael P. Strager4Jacquelyn M. Strager5Paul Kinder6Mountain Hydrology Laboratory, Division of Forestry & Natural Resources, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506, USAMountain Hydrology Laboratory, Division of Forestry & Natural Resources, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506, USASmith Outdoor Economic Development Collaboration, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506, USASmith Outdoor Economic Development Collaboration, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506, USADivision of Resource Economics and Management, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506, USADivision of Forestry & Natural Resources, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506, USANatural Resource Analysis Center, Division of Forestry & Natural Resources, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506, USAOutdoor recreation is one of the fastest-growing economic sectors in the United States and is being used by communities to support economic development, social prosperity, and environmental protection. For communities that have whitewater rivers, whitewater recreation provides a powerful economic alternative to ailing extractive and manufacturing industries that have long dominated rural communities. In order to promulgate a whitewater recreation-based economy, stakeholders need information about their whitewater resources, including how often and when they can be paddled. The overall goal of this study, therefore, was to develop an analytical framework that quantifies boatable days, that is, the number of days that streamflow exceeds the minimum boatable flow levels needed to paddle downstream. Importantly, our framework uses publicly available streamflow and minimum boatable flow information that can be used to quantify boatable days for any whitewater run in the country, irrespective of watershed size or river flashiness. We applied the framework to three world-class whitewater rivers in the central Appalachian Mountains, USA, and found abundant and stable boating opportunities throughout the year. Our results underscore the potential for strategically developing whitewater recreation as a means of economic diversification and highlight how boatable days analysis can be used for quantifying whitewater resources.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/16/7/1060whitewater recreationwhitewater boatingboatable days frameworkwhitewater economyoutdoor economyAppalachian Mountains |
| spellingShingle | Nicolas Zegre Melissa Shafer Danny Twilley Greg Corio Michael P. Strager Jacquelyn M. Strager Paul Kinder A Boatable Days Framework for Quantifying Whitewater Recreation—Insights from Three Appalachian Whitewater Rivers Water whitewater recreation whitewater boating boatable days framework whitewater economy outdoor economy Appalachian Mountains |
| title | A Boatable Days Framework for Quantifying Whitewater Recreation—Insights from Three Appalachian Whitewater Rivers |
| title_full | A Boatable Days Framework for Quantifying Whitewater Recreation—Insights from Three Appalachian Whitewater Rivers |
| title_fullStr | A Boatable Days Framework for Quantifying Whitewater Recreation—Insights from Three Appalachian Whitewater Rivers |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Boatable Days Framework for Quantifying Whitewater Recreation—Insights from Three Appalachian Whitewater Rivers |
| title_short | A Boatable Days Framework for Quantifying Whitewater Recreation—Insights from Three Appalachian Whitewater Rivers |
| title_sort | boatable days framework for quantifying whitewater recreation insights from three appalachian whitewater rivers |
| topic | whitewater recreation whitewater boating boatable days framework whitewater economy outdoor economy Appalachian Mountains |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/16/7/1060 |
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