River Recreation Boating Impacts

Recreation boating on rivers can create conflict and crowding which detract from both the safety and the enjoyment of the boating environment. Travel over water by boat is inherently risk-prone, and demands a special category of skills. In recreation boating, especially, these skills are often absent. Speed and operational characteristics of boats, as well as the physiography of the river landscape, are some of the variables which influence boating conflict. Difference in speed is a particularly significant contributor to boating conflict. A method is developed to measure the impact of recreation boating on a river, suitable especially for a narrow water configuration and a relatively high flow of traffic. A complementary part to impact assessment is the physiography of the river environment. A method to map the visibility down a river channel, in order to identify locations of potential boating hazards, is described. The policy implications are discussed. The case study is the Rideau River in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.