A
Wilderness Resolution for Colorado River Use
in
Grand Canyon National Park
Based
on a 50% split (commercial vs. self-guided user days)
during
an extended primary season
|
Summary
of Comparison with Status Quo, a.k.a. current river allocation
|
Comparable
Attributes
|
Status
Quo Alternative
(Current
River Use) |
Wilderness
Resolution |
Primary
season |
May
1 – September 30 |
April
1 – October 31 |
Launches
per day |
Commercial
= 4-7 launches/day, based on 150 passengers/day.
Self-guided
= only 1 launch/day |
4
total launches/day
(2
commercial, 2 self-guided) |
Commercial
allocation |
Current
use
106,156
user days |
Slightly
more
107,352
user days/year |
Self-guided
boater opportunities |
Current
primary season = 8 launches/week.
20-year
wait list. |
Extended
primary season = double the number of self-guided launches. Significantly
reduces wait for river access. |
Maximum
group size |
Commercial
= 36 + paid staff
Self-guided
trips = 16 |
18
recreational passengers |
Encounters
with other groups |
Primary
season = very high
All
motor trips leaving 7 days after non-motor trips will pass non-motor
trips. |
Fewer
launches = fewer encounters. All trips traveling at similar speeds
provide opportunity to coordinate with other groups to minimize
encounters. |
Safety
|
No
change |
No
change. Actually slightly fewer injuries, per available data. |
Wilderness
Experience |
Fair
to Poor
No
change. Motor noise, large group size, many encounters – based on
social research. |
Good
to Excellent
Complies
with wilderness policy, quiet trips, appropriate group size, less
congestion, fewer encounters. |
