Abstract:
Due to current river management priorities for aging, altered, and sedimented river systems, access to off-channel areas on the Black Warrior River system in West Alabama has diminished. As a result, satisfaction of river recreation stakeholders is lowered, ecological services provided by these areas are reduced, and the interests of recreationists, such as anglers, are neglected by dominant main river channel management practices. An understanding of the extent to which anglers perceive changes and the importance they place on off-channel area access is under-researched. The objectives of this study are to determine the extent to which anglers perceive changes in access to off-channel resources, the influence of off-channel areas on river recreation activities and behaviors, and management and policy implications. A two survey strategy, one delivered in-person and another via the Internet, assessed how anglers observe and experience changes in lateral connectivity. Angler perceptions of changes resulting from decreased lateral connectivity in altered waterways were documented, using the Black Warrior River in Alabama as a case study. The research reveals the recreational impacts of diminishing lateral connectivity, develops a framework for understanding perceptions of lateral connectivity changes, and aids in informing and influencing future river management plans and policy.
