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The Issue of Crowding <br />The amount of recreational use of the river can only be expected to increase as the population of San <br />Marcos grows. There are two parts to the issue of the numbers of people who come to the river: (1) is it <br />so crowded that the recreation experience is diminished, and (2) do the crowded conditions negatively <br />impact the river's significant natural resources? The table below shows how frequently citizens said they <br />were likely to change their use of the river because of perceived crowded conditions. The top choice is <br />to go to less crowded sections of the river. <br />Table A.2 <br />Citizens' Tendencies to Change Recreation Patterns Due to Crowding <br />T 1 =Never j= Sometimes S= Always <br />RECOMMENDED RIVER MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES <br />The following strategies have been developed by a committee convened by the three partners: National <br />Park Service, the City of San Marcos Parks and Recreation Department and Texas State University's River <br />Systems Institute. The committee was comprised of experts in the field of river recreation and <br />conservation, including: federal, state, regional, and local agency scientists and practitioners; academics; <br />and park planning consultants. The issues which the strategies address were compiled from the <br />community workshop held about the San Marcos River in 2006 and supplemented by the experts' <br />opinions, including what has worked and not worked in New Braunfels River Management Program. <br />General Recommendation: The partners recommend a new position be developed (City of San Marcos <br />River Program Manager) to oversee the area from the headwaters to the confluence with the Blanco <br />River. The following specific strategies would primarily fall under the prevue of this proposed program. <br />Strategies for Managing Visitor Impacts <br />Modifying Behavior Through Education <br />Relatively inexpensive and definitely non - controversial, an educational strategy can take various forms. <br />Signage can indicate legally protected plants vs. unprotected plants, including undesirable invasive, non- <br />111 <br />