IV-190 



The estimated annual maintenance cost of $385,000 is the only 

 economic indicator available to show the value of this type of 

 recreational use. 



Public beach use in Narragansett Bay appears to be heavily concen- 

 trated in a few State beaches, and other beaches seem to have 

 adequate space to support the swimming demand. 



Boating 



Estuaries favor recreational boating because of the relatively 

 protected waters and variety of activities possible. Narragansett 

 Bay, with its deep embayment and many protected waterways has been 

 a historically prominent recreational boating area. Not all boats 

 are registered, so that the total numbers of boats actually using 

 the estuarine system cannot be obtained directly. In 1965, however, 

 10,175 recreational boats were registered in the State of Rhode 

 Island. In addition many out-of-state boats use the Bay. 



Surveys of boat owners as well as boatyard and marina operators 

 give an estimate of annual expenditures for boating of $5.2 million 

 dollars based on boat operating and maintenance costs. Table 

 IV. 3. 10 shows the estimated participation in boating in Narragansett 

 Bay. This number of user-days appears excessive since it would 

 require 25 trips of each 15,000 boats with at least five persons 

 on each trip; it is included to show the difficulties of assembling 

 data to establish economic values for recreational pursuits. 



