4.12 -- Recreation

1. General Description

   The Mississippi River is a large and diverse area capable of satisfying many recreation needs. The demand for outdoor recreation is continually increasing. Some popular forms of outdoor recreational activities are bicycling, bird watching, camping, fishing, hiking, hunting, power boating, sailing, sightseeing, swimming, and water skiing (See FIGURE 4-57.)

   The Mississippi, Illinois and Kaskaskia River segments in the St. Louis District provides major opportunities for water based recreation in the region. Natural vegetation, variable topography, accessibility to water and the proximity of the river to a large population are significant features that enhance its attractiveness for recreational purposes.

2. River Recreation Use Characteristics- Mississippi and Illinois Rivers

   Recreational use intensity is a function of the available physical resources, access, management, and proximity of population centers. The recreational resource is dependent on the physical, biological and water quality characteristics of any given segment of the system. These characteristics will determine, to a large extent, the types of recreational activities occurring within any given reach. This relationship will not hold true, however, when access is limited or where high urban concentrations are the major factor in determining recreational use intensity and density.

   High public demands for use of these resources in selected reaches of the UMRS (particularly in urban areas) are expected to intensify. Much of the System's shoreline is presently privately owned and large sections of the rivers are paralleled by railroad tracks, impeding access. Furthermore, the majority of public lands along the Rivers are managed for fish and wildlife purposes which may be incompatible with some recreational uses.

   Towns and metropolitan areas exert a high demand on the recreational resource. The St. Louis metropolitan area continues to project deficiencies in the availability of access for water-based recreation. This high demand produces intensive use of the resource, especially during weekends and holidays. Conflicts between river users periodically occur during high activity periods, primarily in Pool 26. Major motorboating, sailing, water-skiing and jet-skiing activity occurs in the navigation channel and the main channel border. Major hunting and fishing activity occurs along the main channel border, side channels and backwaters. Camping, picnicking, hiking and nature studies occur primarily on islands, sandbars and along the shoreline.

   The expanse of water created by the locks and dams of the navigation project provide additional opportunities for recreation use and enjoyment of the Upper Mississippi River System corridor. Conflicts periodically exist between recreation use and maintenance of the channel and commercial navigation use. Portions of the navigation pools have very shallow areas and stump fields. While these areas provide good fish nursery and waterfowl areas, they are hazards to the boater unfamiliar with the river. Channel structures, such as wing dikes and closing dams, used to help maintain the navigation channel, also present a hazard to the novice or inexperienced boater.

   Beaches created with dredged material and by natural deposition receive intensive public use. They provide primitive types of recreation with makeshift facilities. These beaches are used for camping, swimming, sunbathing, picnicking and partying. They form base locations for water skiing, hunting and fishing groups and provide important destination points for recreation visits.

   Public access to Navigation Pools 24 - 27 is generally limited to the 49,000 acres of dispersed federally owned shoreline lands, located predominantly in the lower reaches of the pools. The Corps of Engineers, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the Missouri Department of Conservation manage most of the public access areas and facilities adjacent to the navigation pools. There are also numerous commercial marinas offering public access and other recreational services, most which are on privately owned shoreline lands.

   Opportunities for public access in the open river reach is limited due to private ownership of the shoreline and intervening lands between the highways, railroad tracks, and the river. The most visual identification with the river downsteam of St. Louis occurs at bridge crossings and at river communities. Most of the public land that is available in this reach is located in state parks, state conservation areas, USFWS refuges and Forest Service lands. Roadside parks, points of interest, and city parks comprise a minor amount of the total acreage. Fuel stops for recreational boaters along this reach are extremely limited, forcing most craft to carry extra fuel and provisions.

   Regardless of the constraints on the use of the river and related land resources, the existing recreational resources and the cooperative efforts among governmental agencies and private enterprise combine to provide numerous opportunities to experience the diversity of the river's recreational, natural, cultural, and historic values.

   Some specific examples of areas with high recreation potentials are: (1) the confluences with major tributaries - the Illinois, the Missouri, the Meramec and the Kaskaskia Rivers; (2) major islands; (3) scenic bluff or river hills areas, e.g. Alton to Grafton Bluffs, Fountain Bluff, and Grand Tower in Illinois, the river hills at Clarksville and Louisiana in Missouri; and (4) the Pere Marquette State Park area along the Lower Illinois River.

   None of the Federal or state agencies dealing with outdoor recreation have more than a partial authority for planning and management of the recreational resources. Coordination of planning for public recreational purposes needs to be improved. A Standardized system of collecting recreation use data for the river corridor is non-existent, which impedes the coordination of activities for enhanced recreation opportunities.

 

Recreational boating use patterns and levels of use for each segment of the Rivers Project Service Area can be realized in relative terms by analyzing Recreational Boat Lockage statistics in the St. Louis District (Table 4-48, FIGURE 4-49, Table 4-9, and FIGURE 4-51.)

A study on the types of recreational boats, projections on boater uses and impacts of recreational boating on the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers is currently being prepared as part of an on-going comprehensive Upper Mississippi and Illinois River Navigation Study being conducted by the Corps. FIGURE 4-52, Table 4-53and FIGURE 4-54 are from this Draft Study and provide a brief summary on the types and sizes of recreational boats utilizing the river in the St. Louis region and existing and projected boat use of the pools in the St. Louis District.

1. Monthly Tonnage:

2. Commercial Lockages:

3. Recreational Lockages:

4. Number of Commercial Vessels:

5: Number of Recreational Vessels:

 

1. Kaskaskia River Navigation Project

   Managed by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the Kaskaskia River Navigation Project land and water offers a variety of recreational resources. The channelized portion of the river is used heavily for motor boating along with other water-oriented pursuits such as water-skiing, fishing and swimming. The oxbow portions of the river provide a good environment for fishing, hunting and nature studies. The smaller tributaries of the Kaskaskia (Nine Mile, Little Plum, Doza, Silver, Camp, Horse and Richland Creeks) have the potential for providing a suitable canoeing waters.

    

   The Kaskaskia River State Fish & Wildlife Area (KRFWA) is one of the largest state-owned and managed sites in Illinois. Located 35 miles southeast of St. Louis, Missouri, the area comprises more than 20,000 acres of lands and waters and extends along the Kaskaskia River Navigation Project from Fayetteville to the Mississippi River in St. Clair, Monroe, and Randolph counties. The Illinois Department of Transportation acquired the lands along the river and the Department of Natural Resources manages it for fish, wildlife and other recreational activities. Approximately 16,000 acres of public lands and 2,200 acres of Kaskaskia River channel and backwater areas are managed for recreation and environmental stewardship.

   Baldwin Lake, a 2,018-acre reservoir built by Illinois Power Company, is managed as part of KRFWA. This lake serves as a source of cooling water in operating a nearby electric generating station. Baldwin Lake is open to the public for fishing and is a major part of the waterfowl refuge of the area.

   The Public Land Area along the river includes an extensive mixed bottomland forest comprised of pecan, soft maple, burr oak, pin oak, shellbark hickory, and willow. Many cultivated and fallow fields, native grass patches, brushy areas, and other "open" areas are interspersed with the stands of mature bottomland timber. Due to this great diversity of habitats, good wildlife populations exist in the area and hunting and nature study are popular uses of the KRFWA.

   Approximately 14,000 acres are available for hunting of forest game, small upland game and waterfowl. Hunter check stations are maintained in the area and access is primarily from the boat ramps and parking lots.

   Fishing is the most popular activity on the Kaskaskia River. With its 36 miles of channelized river, plus additional oxbows, creeks, and river bottom lakes. Channel catfish and flathead catfish , largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, carp and freshwater drum are the most sought after sport fish.

   Concrete launch ramps are provided on the Kaskaskia River at Fayetteville, New Athens, on Highway 154 west of Baldwin, and at Evansville.

   Weekends and holidays throughout the summer receive the most recreational boat use and congestion and boater safety is a serious concern.

   Primitive camping and picnicking is permitted on lands adjacent to the river and developed picnicking areas are located at Ballwin Lake.

   A 12-mile trail system exists and is used by hunters, hikers, birdwatchers and other outdoor enthusiasts.

2. Greenways and Urban Recreation

   The St. Louis region was founded and developed around the confluence of five rivers: the Mississippi, Missouri, Meramec, Illinois and Kaskaskia. Over the last 100 years, most of the communities in the region rarely interacted with its rivers. That has changed, however, particularly in the past 10 years as cities are rediscovering their riverfronts for economic and quality of life purposes and leisure time and recreation demand continues to grow. These river corridors are excellent areas to develop Greenways.

   Greenway corridors (linear open spaces connecting recreational, cultural, and natural areas) are traditionally recognized for their environmental protection, recreation value and aesthetic appearance. Often, trails and bikeways are the center or core of a greenway and usually represent the first use, with additional acreage added to solve environmental problems or to enhance the aesthetic qualities, natural habitat and recreation opportunities.

   Greenway users typically think of biking, hiking, canoeing or fishing, but there are other benefits. By forestalling floodplain development, they reduce the damage caused by flooding. They provide natural filters that help trap and break down pollutants. They also provide places for plants and animals to live and travel through. Trees along greenways can shield unsightly land use, repair past land abuses or act as barriers from the sound of traffic on highways. These linear corridors can link parks, natural reserves, cultural features and historic sites so that people can enjoy the synergistic effect of these links.

   Greenways and trail corridors in the region include:

   1. The Katy Trail, a 200-mile trail that parallels the Missouri River through the region and is part of the coast-to-coast American Discovery Trail.
   2. The Confluence Bikeway, a twenty-four-mile trail from Alton to Locks 27 that will connect with the Chain of Rocks Bridge and wetlands along the Mississippi River.
   3. The Riverfront Trail, a twelve-mile trail in Missouri from the Gateway Arch north to the Chain of Rocks Area.
   4. The Levee Trail, eleven miles along the Illinois levees from the Eads Bridge through Cahokia and on toward Belleville.
   5. Grant's Trail, a six-mile trail and greenway near Grant's Farm and the Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site.
   6. Meeting of the Great Rivers National Scenic Byway which includes the 30-mile Vadalabene Bikeway and adjacent viewsheds are being preserved by the Great Rivers Land Trust.
   7. Columbia Bottoms, a large 4,300 floodplain previously owned by the city of St. Louis transferred to the Missouri Department of Conservation as part of a large greenway along the river in 1997.
   8. The Meramec River Greenway, a twenty-year old effort to protect the green corridor and its adjacent floodplains along the Meramec River.
   9. The River Des Peres, winding through south St Louis. The flood of 1993 destroyed many homes along this corridor and those properties are being returned to open green spaces.
   10. The Limestone Bluffline, a corridor from Alton to Chester that connects natural area bluff communities.

   Plans to protect additional greenways in the region are being pursued through partnering by various federal, state, county and municipal agencies and non-profit organizations such as the St. Louis based trail advocacy group, TRAILNET. The St. Louis District is involved in several of these greenway efforts associated with existing Corps projects and lands and waters.

3. Marina Developments

   Private and commercially owned and operated marinas located on private lands are listed in Table 4-55. Pool 26, because of its location in the metropolitan area, has the largest number of marinas and marinas of the largest size. Only a few leased marina services are located on public lands. These areas are listed on Table 4-56.

Table 4-55
Private Recreational Marina and Boat Club Developments (On Private Lands/Waters)

1. Map ID Number	Marina or Other Facility Name	State, County, City	River Mile and Bank	No. of Slips or Facilities	Services and Features
   	POOL 24
   24-2	Louisiana Boat Club	MO, Pike, Louisiana	283 R
   24-3	Clarksville Boat Club	MO, Pike, Clarksville	273.2 R
   	POOL 25
   25-1	Riverport Marina	MO, Pike,	260 R
   25-2	Timberlake Marina	MO, Lincoln, Elsberry	257.7 R	50 Slips, 40 Campsites	Camping- 11 Cabins
   25-3	Channel Park Harbor	MO, Lincoln	257 R
   25-4	Stay and Play Marina	MO, Lincoln	245.2 R
   25-5	Pirys Marina	MO, Lincoln, Winfield	241.5 R
   	POOL 26
   26-1	Johns Boat Harbor	MO, St. Charles	231.5 R	100 Slips
   26-2	Two Branch Marina	MO, St. Charles	231.5 R
   25-3	Club Holiday Boat Harbor	MO, St. Charles	230.2 R
   25-4	Dardenne Boat Harbor	MO, St. Charles	227.5 R
   26-5	South Shore Marina	MO, St. Charles, Kampsville	227.0 R	80 Slips
   26-6	Yacht Club of St. Louis	MO, St. Charles	225.5 R	190 Slips
   26-7	Lake Center Marina	MO, St. Charles,	224.5 R
   26-8	Heartland Marina	MO, St. Charles,	223.5 R
   26-9	Woodland Marina	MO, St. Charles, St. Charles	222.5 R	470 Slips
   26-10	North Shore Yacht Club	MO, St. Charles, St. Charles	222.3 R at Hinge Point	185 Slips
   26-11	222 Yacht Club	MO, St. Charles,	222.0 R
   26-12	Anchor Marine	MO, St. Charles	221.5 R	103 Slips
   26-13	Duck Club Yacht Club	MO, St. Charles	221.5 R	114 Slips
   26-15	Hideaway Harbor	MO, St. Charles, Portage Des Sioux	214.0 R	60 Slips
   26-17	Snug Harbor	MO, St. Charles, Portage Des Sioux	213.5
   26-18	Sioux Yacht Club	MO, St. Charles, Portage Des Sioux	213.4
   26-19	Venetian Harbor	MO, St. Charles, Portage Des Sioux	213.7 R	160 Slips
   26-20	Sioux Harbor	MO, St. Charles, Portage Des Sioux	213.0 R
   26-21	Palisades Yacht Club	MO, St. Charles, Portage Des Sioux	212.5 R	67 Slips
   26-21	My River Home Boat Harbor Inc.	MO, St. Charles, Portage Des Sioux	212.4 R	200 Slips
   26-22	Valley Sailing Association	MO, St. Charles	211.5
   26-23	St. Louis Sailing Club	MO, St. Charles	211.6
   26-25	Harbor Point Yacht Club	MO, St. Charles, West Alton	204.3 R	226 Slips
   26-25	Pilot House Yacht Club	MO, St. Charles, West Alton	204.2 R	225 Slips
   	OPEN MISSISSIPPI RIVER
   O-1	Hoppies Marina	MO, Jefferson, Kimmswick	158.2 R
   O-2	Marina De Gabouri	MO, Ste. Genevieve, Ste. Genevieve	122.0 R
   	LOWER KASKASKIA RIVER
   K-1	Kaskaskia River Marina	IL, St. Clair, New Athens	30 L	50 Slips	27 Campsites, Shipstore, Restaurant, Boat Services

   Table 4-56
   Commercial Concession Recreational Marina and Boat Club Developments on Public Lands

   Map ID Number	Marina or Other Facility Name	State, County, City	River Mile and Bank	No. of Slips or Facilities	Services and Features
   POOL 24
   24-1	Two Rivers Marina	IL, Pike,	283.0 L
   POOL 25
   25-6	Calhoun Sportsman Club	IL, Calhoun, Batchtown	242.0 L
   POOL 26 (Including Illinois River)
   26-14	Sherwood Harbor	MO, St. Charles,	219.0 R
   26-24	Alton Boat Club	IL, Jersey,	209.5 L Up Piasa Creek
   26-24	Piasa Harbor	IL, Jersey,	209.5 L
   26-26	The Alton Marina	IL, Madison, Alton	202.0 L	182 Slips

   1. Recreational Uses and Economic Significance on the UMRS

      The value of the Upper Mississippi River System (UMRS) as a nationally significant resource is widely recognized. The system is vital in supporting ecological systems, commercial navigation and a wide variety of recreational activities.

      In order to learn more about the types and economic significance of recreational use of the UMRS, Congress authorized a study in 1986 (Public Law 99-88) to measure the economic importance of recreation in the UMRS. The study was fully completed and published in April 1995.

      In summary, the study estimates that throughout the UMRS over 12 million daily visits by recreationists took place during the study year. These visits resulted in direct and secondary expenditures of over $1.2 billion that helped maintain over 18,000 jobs.

      Other study findings of relevance to the Rivers Project area are as follows:

      1. More than 2.3 million recreational party trips to the UMRS were made to developed areas, sightseeing/visitor center areas, marinas and permitted docks during the study period. These trips equate to over 12 million daily visits by recreationists.
      2. Boating, fishing and sightseeing were the most popular activities. Half of all visitors boated.
      3. Over 60% of the people made their trips to developed public recreation areas, with the remaining trips being made to marinas (26%) (primarily on private lands), sightseeing/visitor center areas (7%) and permitted docks (4%).
      4. Residents of counties that border the UMRS accounted for the majority of the trips, ranging from two-thirds to three-fourths for all types of access. Single day trips were predominant (around 75%) when compared with trips that included overnight stays. Average party sizes were larger for trips to permitted docks and marinas.
       

      FIGURE 4-57
      Recreational Use of the Upper Mississippi River System by Access Types Surveyed

   

   Types of Recreational Access Not Included in the Study were:

   Dispersed use areas/undeveloped areas Urban river corridor parks and Greenways (unlimited access) Private clubs (hunting, etc.) Riparian households without permitted docks Commercial boat tours/Gambling boats Boaters who Pass through the entire UMRS

   1. Visitors spent over $190 million on items consumed on trips during the study year. Spending on durable items amounted to over $150 million during the study year. The average spending per visitor per day for items consumed on trips was $15.84. Most of this spending was for food, gas, lodging, and boating expenses.

      Patterns in spending were evident. The most influential factors were distance traveled, length of trips (daily or overnight), and use or nonuse of boats. These patterns have been identified in "expenditure profiles" and can be used in future studies in the UMRS.

   2. Spending on durable items used on trips, such as boats and fishing gear, averaged $12.54 per visitor per day. Most of this spending was on boating equipment, camping vehicles, and fishing gear.
   3. Visitors to marinas spent more, on average, than visitors to other areas. The value of all boats in marinas was approximately $600 million.
   4. Recreational activity on the UMRS during the study year resulted in direct and secondary expenditures of $1.2 billion that helped maintain 18,500 jobs nationwide.
   5. Recreational activities in the 76 counties bordering the UMRS during the study year resulted in direct and secondary expenditures of $400 million that helped maintain 7,200 jobs. Service industries, retailers, manufactures and finance and insurance providers were affected most.
   6. One third of all spending in the 76 corridor counties was made by nonresidents, representing "new dollars" to the region.

   FIGURE 4-58
   Summary of Recreational Activities for Entire UMRS

   

    FIGURE 4-59
   St. Louis District Recreational Activities Based on Surveys

   

   Continue to Section V - Partnerships and Coordination

   Return to Section IV Contents