Nearly four-fifths of these respondents managed a single Congressionally authorized water resources development project, usually a flood control reservoir or navigation project with associated facilities for outdoor recreation. The remaining managers were responsible for recreation management on 2 to 10 different Congressionally authorized projects. Recreation associated with Mississippi River pools 11-20, for example, was consolidated under a single natural resources manager who was responsible for a Corps-administered recreation program associated with 258 miles of the Upper Mississippi River.
Recreation on Corps projects is typically managed by some combination of Corps staff, concessionaires, and outgrant partners. Concessionaires typically manage marinas and sometimes other recreation facilities available on the
project. Outgrant partners typically operate municipal, county, and state parks and state wildlife management areas. Approximately three-quarters of respondents managed some portion of their recreation program with a staff of Corps employees. Another 16 percent of respondents utilized concessionaries or outgrant partners to manage all recreation on their project(s). The remaining 10 percent of respondents were responsible for two or more projects on which recreation was totally managed by concessionaires or outgrant partners on some projects and by Corps staff on other projects.
Sixty-nine percent of respondents managed facilities for both day-use and camping recreation. Approximately one-quarter provided only day-use recreation facilities. The remaining 7 percent of respondents managed projects that offered sightseeing opportunities associated primarily with visitor centers, but did not offer day-use or camping recreation. This situation is relatively common at navigation projects in which the Corps operates a lock and dam but does not own or manage any of the surrounding land or water base.