The Willamette Basin Comprehensive Study of Water and Related Land Resources. Appendix K. Recreation.

• Other Authors: PACIFIC NORTHWEST RIVER BASINS COMMISSION VANCOUVER WASH
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1969
• Subjects: Administration and Management; Sociology and Law; *ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT; *WATER RESOURCES; *RECREATION; POLICIES; UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT; WATER POLLUTION ABATEMENT; NATURAL RESOURCES; PLANNING; RIVERS; ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION; LAND USE; LAKES; BASINS(GEOGRAPHIC); RESERVOIRS; FORESTS; STATE LAW; STATE GOVERNMENT; OREGON; Willamette River Basin; Arctic; Subarctic
• Online Access: http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/ADA036763; http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADA036763

Willamette Basin, with only one-fifth of Oregon's land area, contains two-thirds of its people. However, it is much more than a densely populated industrial and agricultural center; it is a storehouse of outdoor recreation opportunity. The recreation asset of the basin lies in the contrasts found within its boundaries. Topography ranges from flat, rolling terrain, just a few feet above sea level, to precipitous alpine crags over 10,000 feet in elevation. Climate varies from warm and moist on the valley floor to subarctic and arctic in the higher elevations of the Cascade Range. Plant and animal life vary to the same extremes. Even with the inherent appeal generated by its physical and topographical features, Willamette Basin could not be the recreation attraction that it is were it not for the excellent road netowrk throughout. A motorist can travel from one end of the basin to the other, a distance of over 150 miles, in about 2-1/2 hours. Secondary highways and side roads provide access to most of the basin. Outdoor recreation is an important use today. About 370,000 acres of land are specifically reserved as Recreation Areas, Unique and Natural Areas, and Wilderness. About $270 million was spent on outdoor recreation and tourism within the basin in 1965, and outdoor recreation enthusiasts spent 20 million days pursuing their recreation interests. By 2000, the population within Willamette Basin will double, and the recreation use will increase almost fivefold. Day use is increasing at a faster rate than overnight use and water-related use is growing much faster than nonwater-related use. Original contains color plates: All DDC reproductions will be in black and white. Appendix K to AD-A036 745. See also Appendix L, AD-A036 764.