ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) will conduct visitor surveys this summer at Lake Red Rock and Saylorville Lake near Des Moines, Iowa, June 10 through Sept. 10. Visitors exiting these two recreation facilities will be asked about their length of stay and overall experience. Participation in the survey is voluntary.
“This survey will give us vital baseline information, which we will use for budgeting and planning purposes,” said Mary Coulombe, Chief of USACE Natural Resources Management Office. “We want to learn more about our visitors’ recreation habits to better plan for new trends in the ways our guests spend their leisure time at our parks. The findings will also help us ensure that the recreation facilities at our lakes are operating efficiently to maximize visitor outdoor opportunities and enjoyment.”
Interns from the Student Conservation Association will conduct the interviews with visitors. The survey has been approved by the Office of Management and Budget with control number 0710-0020.
USACE routinely conducts visitor interviews at its lake and river projects in an effort to gauge visitors’ experiences and concerns.
USACE is the nation’s largest federal provider of outdoor recreation, managing more than 400 lake and river projects in 43 states and hosting more than 250 million visits per year. With 90 percent of these recreation areas within 50 miles of metropolitan areas they provide a diverse range of outdoor activities close to home and to people of all ages.
Lake Red Rock and Saylorville Lake, located on the Des Moines River in central Iowa, have more than 50 recreational sites for visitors to enjoy camping, boating, fishing, hiking, biking and wildlife watching.
For more information on the survey and USACE recreation sites and opportunities, visit www.corpslakes.us/VisitorSurvey.
Release no. 17-032