A CROWDING-BASED MODEL OF SOCIAL CARRYING-CAPACITY - APPLICATIONS FORWHITEWATER BOATING USE

Following the Limits of Acceptable Change planning framework, we apply crowding standards proposed by Shelby, Heberlein and Vaske (1989) to develop a crowding-based model of social carrying capacity. Fourteen h undred and seventy boaters (347 commercial guided, 873 commercial non- guided, 28 private rafters, and 222 private canoers/kayakers) on the N antahala River in North Carolina completed an on-site survey immediate ly following their white-water trip in the summer of 1994. There were four types of predictor variables: total daily use levels, water relea se level, time of day, and day of the week. The dependent variable was perceived crowding. Using an ordered legit model, all coefficients we re significant at p < .05. Regression results were then applied to agg regate values to determine carrying capacities for three different cro wding standards. Opportunities for applying and expanding the model to other settings and implications for management are discussed.