Situk River, Alaska: 2003 recreation visitor study data
dataset
posted on 2025-01-22, 00:21authored byNeal A. Christensen, Alan E. Watson, Doug Whittaker
This package contains data from a 2003 study of visitors to the Situk River in the Gulf of Alaska. A sample of recreation visitors at the Yakutat airport departure point were interviewed between April and September. Questions included travel methods, lodging, length of stay, and visitor usage of the Situk River. After conducting a short interview with these visitors a follow up questionnaire was mailed to each respondent. These data include more indepth questions related to non-local recreation use, recreation visitor attitudes, and perceptions of the Situk during the three fishing seasons (Steelhead, King/sockeye, and Coho season). At the Situk River Partners Meeting in October 2002, the Partners recommended that the Forest Service move ahead with a multi-faceted National Environmental Policy Act process for the Situk River. Simultaneously, the Forest Service, Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G), and the Alaska Department of Natural Resources agreed to review existing data and explore methods to assess visitor issues, perceptions, and encounter rates on the river. The overall goal of the Situk Recreation Visitor Study was to assess recreation angler experiences and perceptions of conditions on the Situk River, and to measure perceived impacts and tolerances for those impacts. In addition to this overall goal, five related objectives were identified in the study plan. 1) Assess existing and preferred types of experiences by river segment, season and by type of user. 2) Describe users by river segment and type of trip. 3) Assess impact levels and tolerances for those levels. 4) Assess opinions towards various management strategies that might be used to address impacts. 5) Compare results to other surveys and other available information, both looking at existing reported information on the Situk as well as other Alaskan Rivers. These data were published on 09/07/2017. Minor metadata updates were made on 01/17/2025.
These data were collected using funding from the U.S. Government and can be used without additional permissions or fees. If you use these data in a publication, presentation, or other research product please use the following citation:
Christensen, Neal A.; Watson, Alan E.; Whittaker, Doug. 2017. Situk River, Alaska: 2003 recreation visitor study data. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2017-0047
The Situk River system is approximately 25 miles in length and flows from Mountain Lake (elevation approximately 240 feet), in the Russel Fiord Wilderness, into Situk Lake, then downstream approxi...