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Show Critical data on the volume and extent of the vari- ous underground reservoirs in the Piedmont section have not yet been sufficiently determined. In the upper portion of the basin, reconnaissance surveys have been made of the Shenandoah Valley but not in the upper Piedmont and Appalachian Valley of Maryland or West Virginia. The situa- tion in the upper basin therefore also is imperfectly known. Conclusions Ground -water supplies in the basin generally are sufficient for present use although locally in the Piedmont area supplies are inadequate to meet present demands. In the Coastal area it is doubt- ful that future demands can be met. Until 1950, industrial and other demands on the ground waters, with a few exceptions, have not been serious enough to cause alarm, but the States most concerned may profitably consider legislation at an early date to regulate trie number of wells or the amount of pumping to be permitted. Provisions for conserv- ing the resources may now prevent serious difficul- ties at a later date. 3. Development of Recreational Opportunities in Reservoir Areas The Problem The opportunities for recreational activities in prospective reservoir areas in the Potomac River Basin. The Situation The Potomac River Basin is favorably located in relation to population centers for the development and use of its recreational potentials. The moun- tains, the forests, and the streams of the basin in their natural state offer many attractive oppor- tunities for out-of-doors nonurban recreational pur- suits. These at present are only partly developed and utilized. Since attractive natural water bodies are few in the Potoma_c Basin, reservoir areas also can offer significant i-ecreational possibilities. However, the value of any reservoir for recreational purposes will depend largely upon the general plan, the opera- tional pattern, and similar aspects. For example, although water bodies may be in demand for recre- ational purposes, reservoirs conceivably could be located on sites so inaccessible as to make them nearly useless for recreation. Likewise under some circumstances reservoirs may inundate sites more valuable for recreational purposes in their native state than they are as a slack-water reservoir. Cri- teria which dictate selections of locations for dams primarily to provide power development, pollution abatement, or prevention of flood may be at wide variance from those for recreational purposes. The use of reservoirs for recreational purposes is conditioned by the character of the need. Although no comprehensive study of recreational need and preferences has been made in the area it is likely that reservoir areas in the upper Potomac Basin primarily would serve week-end and vacation recre- ation needs. Factors important to their use are therefore: their location with reference to trunk highways connecting population centers in a 100- 200 mile radius; the character of their shoreline for cabins, camps, and other facilities; the quality of fishing; the safety and convenience for swimming, boating, and the general attractiveness of its setting. In the lower Potomac (in the vicinity of or below Great Falls) day-use recreational needs of the Washington metropolitan area are very important. Good slack-water boating and fishing opportunities already exist in the extensive tidewater areas adja- cent to Washington. The greatest recreational need to be served by reservoirs in the lower Potomac is provision for swimming and fishing. The significance of such reservoirs to serve the local Washington day-use swimming needs is diffi- cult to determine without careful analysis of the extent of this need, of alternative possibilities of developments on natural water bodies, and of dam- age to existing recreational opportunities and to features of national importance. Conclusions The Potomac River Basin has many recreational potentials and is located tributary to large popula- tion centers with many unfilled out-of-door recre- ational needs. Because of the relatively few nat- ural lakes in the basin, reservoirs offer good oppor- tunities for week-end and vacation recreation uses, providing recreational uses are considered in their location, design, and operations. Because of the unique location of Washington near the Fall Line on the river, reservoirs below the Fall Line have their greatest potential in day- time or vacation time recreation use. The neces- sity for the reservoirs for recreation depend upon (1) the extent of the need, (2) alternative methods of meeting the need, and (3) balancing the im- portance of meeting this need against the preser- 610 |
