Water-based recreation is an important economic activity on the
Columbia River, where recreation is a specifically authorized
purpose of several of the dams. Recreational use and development
is authorized at all of the federal dams under federal
legislation such as the Federal Water Projects Recreation Act of
1965 and the Flood Control Act of 1944. Fishing and boating are
the most popular forms of water-based recreation on the
Columbia, but windsurfing, particularly in the perpetually windy
Columbia River Gorge, is rapidly growing in popularity and
economic importance to Gorge communities. A 1993 study that was
part of a federal review of Columbia River Basin dams identified
the types and relative popularity of different types of water-
based recreation on the river. A telephone survey of 831
residents in the Columbia River Basin tested participation rates
for water-based recreation, demographic characteristics, trip
information by destination and attitudes toward recreation site
characteristics. The survey sh