231 



the Delaware estuary comprehensive study — 1966 — estimated that the 

 upper Delaware estuary alone had a capacity of over 8 million activity 

 days for boating, while only 1,800,000 activity days are currently being 

 used, which amounts to a utilization of the boating potential of only 

 23 percent. Similarly, only 8 percent of the sport fishing capacity in 

 the upper Delaware estuary appeared to be realized. Even though the 

 definition of "capacity" used in this and similar studies is open to 

 serious question, future demands will place great pressures even on 

 those areas which appear to be underutilized today. 



On the other hand, it is known that the hunting opportunities in 

 State and Federal reserves are not as good as they are on carefully 

 managed private areas. This is due to the special characteristics of 

 waterfowl, their sensitivity to overhunting, and the necessary latitudes 

 of hunting pressures on publicly managed lands. It appears unlikely, 

 however, that privately owned and managed lands, particularly those 

 fronting on the estuaries, can maintain sufficient opportunities for 

 future outdoor recreation let alone expand them. 



This points out that, while there may be ample present opportunities 

 for some recreation activities in certain areas, on others the system and 

 use demands impose severe limitations. It must be one of the prime 

 concerns of the management of the estuarine resources that, while they 

 will be used increasingly for all purposes, the resource base that satis- 

 fies recreation demands must be retained. Destruction of the resource 

 base would constitute the final absurdity of destroying the objects 

 of increasing demand for the satisfactions of this environment. 



User groups 



The recreation pressures on estuarine resources are generated by 

 three basic user groups. They are: 



(1) Periodic: Those who either reside in the estuarine zone 

 or within short travel distance from the estuarine zone, and who 

 travel from their place of residence to the estuary resources, 

 participate in outdoor recreation activities and return to their 

 place of residence within a single day. 



(2) Seasonal: Seasonal recreation users are those who main- 

 tain residences at another place but who spend more than 1 day 

 at a time in the estuarine zone. These users may range from those 

 who spend a single weekend to those who spend 1 or 2 weeks or 

 several months in some fonn of residence — that is, campground, 

 hotel-motel, or cottage in the estuarine zone. 



(3) Permanent: Those who maintain permanent recreation 

 residences in the estuarine zone. 



The demands for, and use of, the recreation resources in the estuarine 

 zone by all three user groups will increase substantially in the future. 

 Periodic users already overburden recreation facilities near metropoli- 

 tan areas as anyone who attempts to reach near-shore areas on week- 

 ends is well aware. With the growth of megalopoli from Maine to 

 Virginia, both coasts of Florida, northern Texas and California in 

 the near future, pressures from day-use participants is certain to rise. 



In addition, both the periodic and seasonal user groups concen- 

 trate the bulk of their pressures on the estuarine and coastal environ- 

 ment in the short summer-months span. Thus, the greatest use is made 



42-847 O — 70 16 



