Cover Page

Contents

Preface
Letter

SECTION I

Orientation
Summary

SECTION II

History
Needs
Geography
Historic Sites
Competitors
Economic Aspects

SECTION III

Federal Lands
State and Interstate
Local

SECTION IV

Division of Responsibility
Local
State
Federal
Circulation

SECTION V

Educational Opportunities

FIGURE 17.

Water Resources

Water resources—lakes, streams, waterfalls, bays, and oceans—are factors of the utmost significance in the scheme of recreation, both because they contribute beauty to any outdoor scene and because of their high value for active recreation.

First of all, it should be borne in mind that lands which do not have a sufficient supply of water have a low recreation-acre value, just as they have a low forage-acre value. Whereas the great desert areas of the Southwest have very real recreational value, recreational use is necessarily concentrated in a relatively small number of centers, and many thousands of intervening square miles forever must remain unoccupied.

Detailed discussion of the various forms of active recreation which are dependent upon the presence of water resources is not necessary here. This value, for example, has been recognized by New York, which has gone so far in setting up standards in selection of State parks as to make water recreational facilities, either actual or potential, a primary requisite. On almost every recreational area the greatest concentration of use occurs in the immediate vicinity of the water, and movement away from the water courses ordinarily takes the form of excursions of relatively short duration.

Sea coasts have a recreational value of unique and matchless character. The recreational value of beaches is of the highest order for several obvious reasons. The inspirational element is of such compelling order that even persons who are not ordinarily stirred by manifestations of nature, experience a stir of emotion when they come upon the shores of the ocean. It is also true that concentrated use of beaches does not shut nature out. Such intensive use of other types of recreational areas destroys the feeling of intimate contact with nature. It is fortunate, too, that intensive use of beaches does not destroy their natural character. Thousands of persons tread the sands and the next high tide effaces every evidence of their tracks.

Twenty-one of the 48 States have ocean frontage, and the total length of the general seacoast of continental United States is approximately 5,000 miles.

A comparatively small portion of seacoast is now in public ownership for recreational use, and this field. should be enlarged and developed.

The general coast line of the United States and outlying territories is as follows:

(The above tabulation excludes the sea coast of the Philippine Islands, and does not include the Virgin Islands.)¹

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¹ U. S. Coast and Geodetic Survey, Lengths, in Statute Miles of the General Coast Line and Tidal Shore Line of the United States and Outlying Territories, November 1915. (See p. 22.)

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The total length of tidal shore line of the continental United States, measured by a unit 1 mile long, and including the shore line of those bodies of tidal waters more than 1 mile wide, which lie close to the main waters, is 21,862 miles (continental United States, 11,936; islands of the continental United States, 9,926).

The beaches are one fortunate instance of a recreational resource which is to be found in proximity to the centers of human demand. Forty-five percent of the total population, or 55 million persons, live within 55 miles of the sea coasts and Great Lakes.

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Last Modified: Fri, Sep. 5, 2003 10:32:22 am PDT
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