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Recreation in the Fraser River Basin

Beautiful British Columbia, with its abundance of natural areas, provides a playground for numerous recreational activities. Each year people from all over flock to the province to enjoy leisurely pursuits in the mountains, on rivers, lakes and the ocean. But as the population grows and development pressures increase, especially in the Greater Vancouver area, this natural experience is threatened.

Environment Canada, through its Fraser River Action Plan, commissioned a study in 1994 to determine the value that British Columbians themselves place on recreational experiences. The study focussed on water-based recreational activities in the Fraser River basin�on or around the Fraser River itself, its tributaries like the Nechako, Thompson, Coquitlam and Pitt rivers, its lakes and streams.

Recreational activities on or around water prove to be very popular. One in four British Columbians takes part in activities such as hiking, river rafting, swimming and camping in the Fraser basin. They spend an average of 24 days per year enjoying our natural wilderness through these pastimes. In comparison to the province as a whole, even more Greater Vancouver residents take part in these activities. About one in three participate in recreational activities in the Fraser basin, averaging 22 days a year.

Hiking and backpacking, biking, water-skiing and wind-surfing are done most frequently, in terms of the number of trips taken. But relaxing at a cabin or on the beach, biking and wind- surfing are the activities on which British Columbians spend the most time. People living in the Greater Vancouver area tend to participate in hiking and backpacking, fishing and camping most often.

Favorite areas for recreational activity are the Lower Fraser and South Thompson regions. The Lower Fraser is the most popular region for canoeing, kayaking, sailing, salmon and steelhead fishing, hiking and backpacking. The South Thompson is favored for motorboating, swimming and sunbathing, picnicking and camping.

British Columbians taking part in these activities are willing to pay to maintain this experience, above and beyond the cost of actually undertaking these activities. On average they are willing to pay between $15 and $30 per activity, per outing. That amounts to a whopping $750 million each year that they are willing to part with in order to preserve their outdoor experiences. Greater Vancouver residents place a higher value than average on these activities because they’ve seen the loss of natural areas to a greater extent than other British Columbians.

The Fraser River basin’s natural bounty is definitely worth preserving! And, it seems, we are willing to pay to do so.