epidemiological experience, the Subcommittee recom- 

 mends an average not exceeding 2,000 fecal coliforms 

 per 100 ml and a maximum of 4,000 per 100 ml, 

 except in specified mixing zones adjacent to outfalls. 



This level of fecal coliforms could be expected 

 when concentrations of viral and other pathogens 

 in receiving waters have been reduced to less than 

 infectious levels for casual water contact by hu- 

 mans, with the risk considered to be one-tenth 

 that for primary contact recreation (see criteria 

 for primary contact recreation on p. 12). Further 

 research will be necessary to arrive at precise cri- 

 teria for secondary contact recreation activities. 



This recommendation is intended to provide for 

 the enjoyment, in relative safety, of uses custom- 

 arily described as "secondary contact recreation," 

 including boating, fishing, and limited contact with 

 water incident to shoreline activities. Swimming, 

 wading by children, and other activities usually 

 referred to as "primary contact recreation" are not 

 adequately provided for by this recommendation. 



The recommendation recognizes the undeniable 

 attraction of water to human beings: water has 

 value, and is used, for a variety of recreational 

 activities without regard to specific mcmagement 

 for or designation of these uses. 



In the Subcommittee's opinion, public policy 

 and water quality criteria should provide for these 

 values and uses as a normal and desirable manage- 

 ment objective on surface waters of the United 

 States. 



The Subcommittee notes certain qualifications in 

 its recommendation. There are, depending on local 

 conditions, waters — typically below points of dis- 

 charge and before mixing — where recreational uses 

 should be discouraged, or in certain cases pro- 

 hibited. (The Subcommittee assumes that zones 

 for mixing are limited, and are specified and de- 

 fined in water quality programs.) Quite apart 

 from water quality, physical hazards — such as in- 

 tensive navigation use — may make recreation use 

 undesirable. If the Subcommittee's recommenda- 

 tion is accepted, an additional burden will be 

 placed upon public agencies to develop positive 

 programs to discourage recreation use where such 

 use is clearly inadvisable. 



Time is a factor in the Subcommittee's recom- 

 mendation. The Subcommittee assumes that plans 

 and programs for implementation of standards 

 prepared by the States will set forth schedules for 

 accomplishment of water quality criteria for vari- 

 ous uses including secondary contact recreation 

 uses. 



The burden of the Subcommittee's finding is 

 that surface waters — wherever there are people — 

 have recreational potential, are likely to be used 



for recreation even if grossly polluted, and provide 

 increased recreation value as quality improves. 

 Thus both protecting the public health and en- 

 hancement of water quality for human satisfaction 

 support the Subcommittee's recommendation. As 

 in the case of aesthetic value, demands on water 

 for recreation are likely to be most intense in 

 urban areas, where suitable quality is most difficult 

 to achieve. 



The Subcommittee emphasizes that this recom- 

 mendation is a suggested minimum requirement. 

 Many of the most-sought-after forms of water rec- 

 reation as described in user preference studies by 

 the Bureau of Outdoor Recreation — swimming 

 and "going to the beach," water skiing, surfing — 

 call for water of significantly lower microbiological 

 content than recommended here. Thus, while reali- 

 zation of secondary contact recreation water would 

 involve a substantial upgrading of the quality of 

 significant portions of surface waters, the mini- 

 mum level suggested here still constitutes a severe 

 limitation on the potential recreation value of 

 surface waters. The Act of Congress under which 

 these criteria are being developed specifies that 

 one of its purposes is to enhance the value of the 

 Nation's water resources. The Subcommittee em- 

 phasizes strongly that continuing improvement be- 

 yond the minimum levels specified for aesthetics in 

 this section will add to the recreation value of 

 surface waters. 



In addition to criteria to permit safe public en- 

 joyment of secondary contact recreation, the Sub- 

 committee has concluded that a companion recom- 

 mendation is necessary to provide for recreation 

 based on utilization of fishes and other aquatic or 

 water-related species as a general use of surface 

 waters. 



Recommendation: Surface waters, with specific and 

 limited exceptions, should be of such quality as to 

 provide for the enjoyment of recreation activities based 

 upon the' utilization of fishes, waterfowl and other 

 forms of life, without reference to official designation 

 of use. The Subcommittee recommends by reference 

 criteria developed by the National Technical Advisory 

 Subcommittee on Fish, Other Aquatic Life, and Wild- 

 life for guidance relative to various species and waters. 



Recreation based on utilization of aquatic and 

 water-related animals is, in number of participants, 

 a major recreation use of surface waters. The Sub- 

 committee suggests that the maintenance and pro- 

 duction of fish and wildlife utilized for recreation 

 purposes must be assumed to be an objective of 

 management of surface waters for general recrea- 

 tion use. 



As in the preceding section, exceptions should 

 be confined to specific mixing zones adjacent to 

 outfalls. 



The 1965 survey by the Bureau of the Census 



