In 1977, 424 million recreation days were reported at 440 Corps lakes and other project areas. As a result of the growing number of visitors entertained at Corps projects annually, planners and managers need information about the recreation activities, facilities, and preferences of these users. To provide for these needs, MRI undertook a research project to improve the visitation input data to the RRMS and evaluate the need for an overall recreation information system.

A Recreation Research and Demonstration System (RRDS) consisting of 24 Recreation Research and Demonstration Units (RRDU's) and 9 Recreation Use Monitoring Stations (RUMS's) has been activated by the Office, Chief of Engineers. The RRDS is a stratified 6 percent sample of Corps water resource development projects for which the Corps exercises operational control over the recreation and related natural resources (RRDU's) plus representative examples of important recreation projects for which the Corps is not now credited with responsibility. The sample accurately mirrors the size, geographic distribution, attendance, and administrative mode found in the Corps-wide system of projects. The purpose of the system is to provide permanently designated outdoor laboratories for the conduct of research in the physiographic, social, economic, and institutional aspects of recreation and related natural resources. (Author).

This report describes past, current, and proposed recreation information systems developed to assist Corps personnel in solving daily management and planning problems. The systems designed to collect and store trend data are still in their infancy and are being managed by the Recreation Research Program at the U.S. Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station (WES). The trend data described in this report were collected as part of a pilot study at three Corps campgrounds during the summer of 1979. This report also describes the system of Recreation Research and Demonstration Units (RRDU) and other agencies that collect, store, and utilize recreation user information. The need to develop additional means of collecting trend data is based, in part, on the weaknesses of past Corps of Engineers recreation information systems. These problems, as well as the steps the Corps is taking to gather more reliable visitation and other trend data, are a cornerstone of this report. A major product of the proposed recreation user system will be the forecasting of national and regional trends in terms of recreation participation, sales of recreational equipment, and other factors that affect recreation use. Part of this system, the collection of more reliable visitation data, has already been implemented. The mechanics of the proposed recreation user system, potential uses, and relationship to existing systems are herein described. (Author).