Public Perception of River‐Corridor Management

Abstract

Abstract Research into the public's perception of water and river‐corridor quality has been undertaken to assess the importance of these aspects to the public's selection of sites for use in recreation. Preliminary results from two on‐site questionnaire surveys involving a number of river user groups suggested that: Whilst there was a strong association between perceived water quality and the presence/absence of individual water‐quality variables, the presence of indicators of ‘good’water quality were less likely to influence perceived water quality than the presence of indicators of ‘bad’water quality; There was an overwhelming desire for trees and a strong preference for vegetational diversity within the public's perceived ideal river corridor setting; and An equally strong preference for mature, sinuous rivers with natural channels and banks. These results suggest that there is a close relationship between the type of riverscape preferred by the public in their use of rivers for recreation and amenity, and that desired by conservationists.