Placer County Water Agency Middle Fork American River Project (FERC No. 2079) Recreation Technical Working Group Meeting March 6, 2008

General Visitor Survey Protocols 2

Proposed Sampling Effort Table 5 Table 5 3

General Protocols  Statistical sites will be sampled on weekdays, weekend days and holidays  Qualitative sites will be sampled on weekends and holidays  Sampling effort for statistical sites is stratified by month based on use distribution – June, July, August  For each month, the number of holiday, weekend-day, and weekday sample-day are assigned  Fridays will not be scheduled for sampling to provide an open day for QA/QC and data management activities and to allow for adjustments to the sampling schedule, if needed  Each sample-day represents two sample-blocks  Each sample-block represents a four hour sample effort 4

General Protocols  Sampling-blocks dates for each month are first randomly selected for each “day-type”  Second, sampling blocks were systematically adjusted to account for staff loading  Staff load balancing only occurs within “day-type” categories  Example: A weekday sampling block can be re-assigned to another weekday but not a weekend-day  Sampling block times are systematically selected based on survey location and facility type  Surveyors will remain on site 4 hours (AM, PM, or evening) for each designated survey block  Surveyors will survey all persons encountered during the sampling block, provided they are willing to participate 5

Site-Specific Protocols  Campgrounds  Surveys will be conducted during AM blocks (8-12) or evening blocks (4-8) only  Survey team will coordinate sampling dates for reserved group sites with Forest Service to ensure occupancy at site  All Other Individual Sites  Surveys will be conducted during AM blocks (8-12) or PM blocks (1-5)  Grouped Sites  Surveys will be conducted during AM blocks (8-12) or PM blocks (1-5)  Surveyors will rove through groups of sites over a 4-hour period  Starting points within each group of sites will be randomly selected  All persons encountered at any one site will be approached and asked to participate in the survey 6

Site-Specific Protocols  Survey Administration  Section A-1 will be administered at all survey locations  With the exception of campgrounds, each user will be asked to complete two additional relevant sections based upon the primary activities they identify  Users intercepted at campgrounds will be asked to complete all relevant sections  Survey administration may be adjusted pending the pre-test results and/or feedback from early sampling efforts 7

Site-Specific Protocols  Locations in ASRA  Surveys will be conducted during AM blocks (8-12) or evening blocks (1-5), and will target stream-based recreation users  Sections A-1 and A-5 will be administered at all locations  Section A-7 will also be administered, if applicable  Ruck-a-Chucky  Sections A-1 and A-5 will be administered to all users  One of the following sections will be administered - Section A-2, A-3, or A-7 8

Survey Log Survey logs will be completed for each sampling location Survey logs will be completed for each sampling location Surveyors will record the following information on the survey log: Surveyors will record the following information on the survey log:  Site Identification  Weather Conditions  Site Conditions  Surveyor Name  Date  Time Arrived at Site  Time Departed Site  Estimated Number of People at Site  Contact Number  Contact Time  Surveyed Previously (Y/N)  Willingness to Participate (Y/N)  Survey No.  Male/Female (M/F)  Part of Family? (Y/N)  Part of Larger Group (Y/N)  How may in family/group (#/#) 9

Proposed Sampling Schedule Sampling schedule tables Sampling schedule tables 10

Proposed Pretest Process and Schedule  Conduct surveys at Ruck-a-Chucky on Sunday, March 9 th  If no one is present at Ruck-a-Chucky, move to Confluence  Conduct interviews over a 4-hour period, from 1PM - 5 PM  Intercept all users present at site  Record survey participation notes on survey log  Report results and discuss proposed survey form/ protocol revisions to group at March 26 th TWG 11

Focus Groups 12

Draft Invitation Letter(s) Draft Invitation Letter(s) Proposed Discussion Topics Proposed Discussion Topics  Whitewater Boating Focus Group  Angler Focus Group  Trail Users/Stream Crossing Focus Group Timing Timing  February - March 2008: Identify Focus Group participants for each Focus Group  February - March 2008: Develop Focus Group topics  April - May 2008: Conduct Focus Group sessions 13

Whitewater Boating Flow Studies 14

Flow Study Implementation Timing Timing  March - April 2008: Develop flow study survey instruments  March - April 2008: Evaluate water-year data to refine windows for flow study Implementation  April - May 2008: Select flow study team members  June 2008: Orientation of study team members  July - October 2008: Implement studies in coordination with instream flow studies conducted as part of AQ 1 TSP 15

Flow Study Implementation Study Reaches and Potential Target Flows Oxbow PH to Ruck-a-Chucky ,025 cfs cfs cfs Ruck-a-Chucky to Mammoth Bar Mammoth Bar to Confluence Confluence to Oregon Bar ,025 cfs cfs cfs cfs16

Flow Study Implementation Whitewater survey form Whitewater survey form 17