the most popular by the turn of the century. Boat- 

 ing and fishing were among the top 10 activities. 

 Walking, camping, picnicking, and hiking — also 

 high on the user preference list — are more attrac- 

 tive, higher quality experiences near clean water. 



A 1965 survey by the Bureau of the Census, 

 Department of Commerce, for BOR indicates that 

 present and anticipated increases in all water-re- 

 lated activities far surpass ORRRC projections. 



BOR's 1965 survey found — for example — that 

 the popularity of swimming, now second only to 

 "walking for pleasure," is increasing so fast that 

 it is expected to be the number one outdoor ac- 

 tivity by 1980 and continue to hold that place 

 in 2000. 



Expressed in other terms, BOR found that out- 

 door swimming "participation occasions" increased 

 44 percent between 1960 and 1965 (while the 

 population of individuals 12 years old and older 

 increased 8 percent). Between 1965 and 1980, 

 BOR expects that swimming will increase 72 per- 

 cent (while population is expected to increase 

 29 percent), and between 1965 and 2000, 207 

 percent (while population is expected to increase 

 76 percent). 



Expressed in terms of individuals, rather than 

 "occasions," BOR's 1965 survey found that 49 

 percent of the population (12 years old and older) 

 went swimming outdoors that year, an increase of 

 15 percent since 1960. Comparable figures for 

 some other water-related activities: 



Fishing — 30 percent of population participated, 

 an increase of 12 percent since 1960. 



Boating (other than canoeing and sailing) — 

 24 percent, an increase of 18 percent. 



This intimate connection between water and 

 recreation suggests the need for coordination of 

 outdoor recreation planning programs and water 

 resources planning programs. Under the Land 

 and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965, and 

 the Water Quality Act of 1965, the States are 

 required to prepare comprehensive long-range 

 plans for meeting the outdoor recreation needs of 

 their people, and for the management of water 

 quality on interstate waters, respectively. State 

 and Federal water quality officials should draw 

 upon statewide outdoor recreation plans (and the 

 nationwide outdoor recreation plan now being 

 prepared by the Bureau of Outdoor Recreation) 

 for guidance in assessing recreation needs, and in 

 developing and applying standards and criteria to 

 waters under their jurisdictions. Similar coor- 

 dination should be effective between water quality 

 and comprehensive water resources planning pro- 

 grams now underway or planned for river basins 

 throughout the country. 



The Subcommittee emphasizes that the manage- 

 ment of water resources to enhance recreational 

 opportunities requires more than the maintenance 

 of water quality. In addition to quantity, location, 

 and accessibility of water, management for recrea- 

 tion may involve seasonal and even daily water 

 level regulation during seasons and hours of peak 



Recreation activities for which criteria 

 are recommended 



The Subcommittee has been asked to recom- 

 mend criteria for water to be used for recreation. 



In draft materials prepared for consideration by 

 the Subcommittee, and in much of the available lit- 

 erature, water quality criteria for recreation con- 

 centrate on the protection of the health and safety 

 of the recreation user. 



It is the Subcommittee's conviction that water 

 quality management programs for recreation 

 should include criteria to — 



(a) provide for and enhance general recreation 

 use of surface waters; 



(b) enhance recreation value of waters desig- 

 nated for recreation use; and 



(c) provide special protection for the recreation 



user where significant body contact with 

 water is involved. 

 Criteria for these purposes are set forth in suc- 

 ceeding sections. 



Criteria for general recreational use 

 of surface waters 



The Subcommittee has concluded for reasons 

 set forth below that it is necessary to recommend 

 criteria for general recreation use of surface 

 waters without rejerence to specific designation 

 of recreation as a water use. 



Considerations related to the recreation user 



Recommendation: Surface waters should be suitable 

 for use in "secondary contact" recreation — activities 

 not involving significant risks of ingestion — without 

 reference to official designation of recreation as a 

 water use. For this purpose, in addition to aesthetic 

 criteria, surface waters should be maintained in a 

 condition to minimize potential health hazards by 

 utilizing fecal coliform criteria. In the absence of local 



