THE INTERFACE BETWEEN COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL-DEVELOPMENT AND RECREATIONAL USE IN AN URBAN RIVER CORRIDOR

Commercial and industrial interests and recreational users both compete for water resources in close proximity to urban population centers. The resource management issue is how to maintain and enhance the economic viability of commercial rivers while at the same time providing recreation experiences to expanding urban populations. Data reported in this study were collected from visitors to recreation sites within the Upper Illinois River Corridor. The objectives of this research were to develop a typology of commercial and industrial activities which may adversely influence recreation use and to determine if the impact of a specific type of commercial and industrial development varies across recreation activities. Our findings show that commercial and industrial development adversely effect the ''quality'' of the recreation experience for persons using urban river corridors. Furthermore, the effects depend on both the type of recreation activity persons engage in and the types of commercial and industrial activity present.