Environmental Determinants of Demand for River Recreation

Although several methods have been developed for measuring factors affecting long-term recreation trends, few have examined what accounts for short-term changes in recreation demand. This study examines weather and stream discharge as transient environmental characteristics influencing recreation participation. A simple method for measuring how these factors affect the environmental suitability of a river area is developed utilizing data corresponding to the Illinois River, a heavily used recreational stream in northeastern Oklahoma. Stream discharge, daily low temperature, and cloud cover are useful predictors of river recreation demand when coupled with a variable corresponding to weekend versus weekday. The information presented may be useful in expanding our understanding of behavioral responses to short-term changes in recreational environments and may assist planners and commercial operators in estimating markets