FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO CONFLICTS AND USER SATISFACTION AT LAKE GASTON : EXAMINING CONFLICT BETWEEN PERSONAL WATERCRAFT USERS AND ANGLERS

Abstract

Over the past thirty years, personal watercraft (PWC) use has grown widely and become common on many waterways. Despite evidence that links PWC use to disturbances with other recreationists, fishery activities, and wildlife at recreational resource sites, few studies of recreational user conflict examine the interaction of PWC users with other water-based recreationists. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between PWC users and anglers (on-shore and in motorboats) to determine: 1) if conflict exists between these user groups; 2) to what extent experience with other activities is related to conflict, and 3) examine the relationship between conflict and tolerance, proposing that tolerance for others will correlate with decreased experiences of reported conflict with others. This study used a secondary data set from the Lake Gaston Association. The data set contained a sample of adults 18 years and older who participated as anglers and personal watercraft users at Lake Gaston, a popular lake in north central North Carolina. Findings identified that conflict was experienced asymmetrically, as anglers experienced high degrees of conflict attributed to PWC users, whereas PWC users reported conflict levels similar to each angler type when examining conflict attributed to anglers. Subsequent analyses revealed that conflict attributed to PWC users was not significant when anglers had experience with PWC use and were tolerant of PWC users. A series of open-ended questions asked recreationists to briefly describe how the presence of specific user types reduced or increased their enjoyment at the lake. For conflict attributed to PWC users, responses centered on themes involving safety and perceptions of inconsiderate behavior. Managerial recommendations include developing `no wake' zones near shore with appropriate markers and signage, lake safety education, lake patrols, and penalties resulting in limits to lake access points managed by lake authorities.