Angler Survey South River and Upper South Fork Shenandoah River ...
Dupont James Madison University Angler Survey South River and Upper South Fork Shenandoah River April – October 2005 Billy Flint and Pete Barlow survey the South River
Purpose • Capture river use info – angling and other • Gauge angler knowledge of consumption advisory • Gather angling statistics – effort, catch, harvest • This is the first survey of this kind for South River
Methods • A stratified “roving” angler survey was selected due to access point limitations • Non-uniform probabilities were assigned to river reaches, time of day, days of week…then selected randomly to determine the sample schedule • Plus to roving survey: more remote contacts; Drawback: incomplete trips
Methods • Two JMU students were trained how to interview constituents and how to safely handle kayaks • Clerks would launch at assigned time and place, float until encountering a fishing or rec party, conduct the interview, and continue to endpoint
Days on the Water
Figure 2 20
19
18
17
18 16
16
16
14 12 10 8 6
5
5
4 2
Month
be r O ct o
be r Se pt em
us t Au g
y Ju l
e Ju n
M
ay
0 Ap ril
Number of Days
469 Individuals 129 Party Interviews
Conducting an angler interview
Location • Waynesboro to Island Ford – 34 river miles • South River – 25 river miles • Upper South Fork Shen River – 19 river mi • Seven reaches sampled • Average reach length – 4.8 miles
Starting Point gm an
bl
ic
Ru n
Re pu
10
Ha n
rt
s
20
Po
Ca ve rn
rc h
a
s
21
ra nd
Ch u
or
m
ro
25
G
es le y
Cr im
Do o
ay ne sb o
15
W
W
Number of times sampled Figure 3 River Reaches Sampled
Downstream 17
15
12 10 11
10
5
0
2005 South River Angler Survey – Waynesboro Area Dooms
Waynesboro
Map 4
2005 South River Angler Survey – Crimora Area
Wesley Church
Crimora
Map 3
Port Republic
Grand Caverns
2005 South River Angler Survey – Grottoes Area Map 2
2005 South Fork Shenandoah Angler Survey
Island Ford
Hangman Run
Port Republic
Map 1
Results Angler Characteristics
Gender
28%
72%
Male
Female
Race
0% 17%
6%
Caucasian African Am Hispanic Asian
77%
Figure 4
Where are you from?
10% 28% Augusta Rockingham
21%
Page Harrisonburg Staunton Waynesboro
2%
Other
10%
26% 3%
What are you fishing for?
23% Bass Trout Catfish
49%
Sunfish Carp Anything 21%
2% 2% 3%
Do you fish from...?
14%
18%
68%
Boat
Bank
Wade
Results Consumption Advisory
Do you know about the advisory?
24%
76%
Yes
No
How do you know about the advisory?
16% 0% 11% 50%
23%
Signs
Word of Mouth
Newspaper
Radio
Other
Answered advisory question correctly?
11%
39%
50%
Correctly
Incorrectly
Unknown
Do you keep fish from South River?
5%
18%
77%
Keep
Release
Both
Do you eat fish from South River?
19%
81%
Yes
No
Recreational activities other than fishing
7%
14%
7%
21%
21%
30%
Wildlife Watching
Canoeing
Kayaking
Sw im m ing
Tubing
Other
Why do you recreate here?
8%
37%
47%
8%
Close to home
Scenery
Both
Other
What do you not like about South River?
39% 50%
11%
Pollution
Litter
Other
How many times do you visit the river?
30%
30%
10% 30%
1 to 5
6 to 10
11 to 20
>20
Angling effort, catch, and harvest
Total Bank and Boat Effort = 36,345 hours
r ob e O ct
pt Se
A
ug u
st
ly Ju
ne Ju
A
M ay
14000 12000 10000 8000 6000 4000 2000 0 pr il
Hours
Fishing Pressure South River 2005
Month TRT
SMB
SUN
CRP
CAT
ANY
Number of fish
Catch and Harvest By Species South R 2005
40000 30000 20000 10000 0 TRT
SMB
SUN
LMB
Species Harvested
Released
CRP
FAF
Catch Rates by Species South R 2005
Num ber per Hour
2.5 2 1.5 1 0.5 0 TRT
SMB
SUN
ANY Species
Harvested
Released
CRP
CAT
Number of fish
Catch and Harvest By Month South R 2005 40000 35000 30000 25000 20000 15000 10000 5000 0 April
May
June
July
August
Sept
Month Bank and Boat
Harvested
Released
Caught
Oct
Catch
Harvest
M
So ut h 05
ja m es
ew N 04
U 00
River and Year
02
ja m
es
FS N 99
ap p 99
R
ap p 98
R
en Sh 97
SF
S
350000 300000 250000 200000 150000 100000 50000 0
97
Number of Fish
SMB Catch and Harvest Virginia Rivers
SMB Harvest Length Freq. Distribution 14
10 8 6 4 2
Length (in)
14
13
12
11
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
0 3
Number harvested
12
Dollars Spent
Angler Expenditures by Month South R 2005 80000 70000 60000 50000 40000 30000 20000 10000 0 April Total Money Spent Fishing in 2005 = $191,508
May
June
July
August
Sept
Oct
Equip Rent
Other
Month Gas
Food
Bait
Lodging
Summary • This is a localized fishery that is moderately used • SR Anglers contribute financially to local economy ($200,000) • SR Anglers are generalists and 75% release their catch (C&R ethic) • Harvest of SMB is greater in SR than in other Virginia rivers • Trout harvest rate is 37%
Summary • Three of four anglers knew of the advisory, but less than half could correctly state it • The advisory signs are working well • Roughly 20% of anglers still eat fish in South River and Upper S. Fork Shen • Water contact recreation amounts to over 50% of non-fishing use ($2,415 spent)
Purpose • Capture river use info – angling and other • Gauge angler knowledge of consumption advisory • Gather angling statistics – effort, catch, harvest • This is the first survey of this kind for South River
Methods • A stratified “roving” angler survey was selected due to access point limitations • Non-uniform probabilities were assigned to river reaches, time of day, days of week…then selected randomly to determine the sample schedule • Plus to roving survey: more remote contacts; Drawback: incomplete trips
Methods • Two JMU students were trained how to interview constituents and how to safely handle kayaks • Clerks would launch at assigned time and place, float until encountering a fishing or rec party, conduct the interview, and continue to endpoint
Days on the Water
Figure 2 20
19
18
17
18 16
16
16
14 12 10 8 6
5
5
4 2
Month
be r O ct o
be r Se pt em
us t Au g
y Ju l
e Ju n
M
ay
0 Ap ril
Number of Days
469 Individuals 129 Party Interviews
Conducting an angler interview
Location • Waynesboro to Island Ford – 34 river miles • South River – 25 river miles • Upper South Fork Shen River – 19 river mi • Seven reaches sampled • Average reach length – 4.8 miles
Starting Point gm an
bl
ic
Ru n
Re pu
10
Ha n
rt
s
20
Po
Ca ve rn
rc h
a
s
21
ra nd
Ch u
or
m
ro
25
G
es le y
Cr im
Do o
ay ne sb o
15
W
W
Number of times sampled Figure 3 River Reaches Sampled
Downstream 17
15
12 10 11
10
5
0
2005 South River Angler Survey – Waynesboro Area Dooms
Waynesboro
Map 4
2005 South River Angler Survey – Crimora Area
Wesley Church
Crimora
Map 3
Port Republic
Grand Caverns
2005 South River Angler Survey – Grottoes Area Map 2
2005 South Fork Shenandoah Angler Survey
Island Ford
Hangman Run
Port Republic
Map 1
Results Angler Characteristics
Gender
28%
72%
Male
Female
Race
0% 17%
6%
Caucasian African Am Hispanic Asian
77%
Figure 4
Where are you from?
10% 28% Augusta Rockingham
21%
Page Harrisonburg Staunton Waynesboro
2%
Other
10%
26% 3%
What are you fishing for?
23% Bass Trout Catfish
49%
Sunfish Carp Anything 21%
2% 2% 3%
Do you fish from...?
14%
18%
68%
Boat
Bank
Wade
Results Consumption Advisory
Do you know about the advisory?
24%
76%
Yes
No
How do you know about the advisory?
16% 0% 11% 50%
23%
Signs
Word of Mouth
Newspaper
Radio
Other
Answered advisory question correctly?
11%
39%
50%
Correctly
Incorrectly
Unknown
Do you keep fish from South River?
5%
18%
77%
Keep
Release
Both
Do you eat fish from South River?
19%
81%
Yes
No
Recreational activities other than fishing
7%
14%
7%
21%
21%
30%
Wildlife Watching
Canoeing
Kayaking
Sw im m ing
Tubing
Other
Why do you recreate here?
8%
37%
47%
8%
Close to home
Scenery
Both
Other
What do you not like about South River?
39% 50%
11%
Pollution
Litter
Other
How many times do you visit the river?
30%
30%
10% 30%
1 to 5
6 to 10
11 to 20
>20
Angling effort, catch, and harvest
Total Bank and Boat Effort = 36,345 hours
r ob e O ct
pt Se
A
ug u
st
ly Ju
ne Ju
A
M ay
14000 12000 10000 8000 6000 4000 2000 0 pr il
Hours
Fishing Pressure South River 2005
Month TRT
SMB
SUN
CRP
CAT
ANY
Number of fish
Catch and Harvest By Species South R 2005
40000 30000 20000 10000 0 TRT
SMB
SUN
LMB
Species Harvested
Released
CRP
FAF
Catch Rates by Species South R 2005
Num ber per Hour
2.5 2 1.5 1 0.5 0 TRT
SMB
SUN
ANY Species
Harvested
Released
CRP
CAT
Number of fish
Catch and Harvest By Month South R 2005 40000 35000 30000 25000 20000 15000 10000 5000 0 April
May
June
July
August
Sept
Month Bank and Boat
Harvested
Released
Caught
Oct
Catch
Harvest
M
So ut h 05
ja m es
ew N 04
U 00
River and Year
02
ja m
es
FS N 99
ap p 99
R
ap p 98
R
en Sh 97
SF
S
350000 300000 250000 200000 150000 100000 50000 0
97
Number of Fish
SMB Catch and Harvest Virginia Rivers
SMB Harvest Length Freq. Distribution 14
10 8 6 4 2
Length (in)
14
13
12
11
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
0 3
Number harvested
12
Dollars Spent
Angler Expenditures by Month South R 2005 80000 70000 60000 50000 40000 30000 20000 10000 0 April Total Money Spent Fishing in 2005 = $191,508
May
June
July
August
Sept
Oct
Equip Rent
Other
Month Gas
Food
Bait
Lodging
Summary • This is a localized fishery that is moderately used • SR Anglers contribute financially to local economy ($200,000) • SR Anglers are generalists and 75% release their catch (C&R ethic) • Harvest of SMB is greater in SR than in other Virginia rivers • Trout harvest rate is 37%
Summary • Three of four anglers knew of the advisory, but less than half could correctly state it • The advisory signs are working well • Roughly 20% of anglers still eat fish in South River and Upper S. Fork Shen • Water contact recreation amounts to over 50% of non-fishing use ($2,415 spent)
