Strategic and temporal substitution among anglers and white-water kayakers: The case of an urban regulated river

Urban recreational landscapes, including rivers, are subject to increased demands for energy production as well as other uses. Recreationists apply a range of behavioral strategies to achieve and maintain their preferred experiences and outcomes as much as possible in these ever changing environments. Although resource and activity substitution are well known coping strategies for recreationists, less is known about strategic and temporal substitution. We studied how whitewater kayakers and salmon anglers applied strategic and temporal strategies to cope with a highly variable river environment due to hydro-peaking, a production scheme that may become increasingly common as hydropower is combined with other sources of renewable energy. We identified a range of behavioral strategies that recreationists use to better cope with frequently changing water levels, including ad-hoc and planned temporal substitution and tactical and spatial substitution. While kayakers used mostly temporal and spatial substitution, anglers applied tactical substitution, such as changing gear and tackle, and improving their skills specifically in response to unfavorable conditions. Future research should seek to confirm and expand the investigation of temporal and strategic substitution to other recreation activities and to other countries and regions.Management implicationsThe study highlights a range of useful, cost-effective mitigation alternatives supported by outdoor recreationists. The mitigation strategies will become more relevant in the future, as policies and licenses for hydropower generation are currently reviewed in many countries. The societal demand for different types of renewable energy has increased the demand for water impoundment facilities when implementing hydro-peaking for electricity generation during peak periods of demand. The relicensing process provides opportunities to better address the multi-functional demands on regulated rivers and to reduce negative impacts of hydropower generation. Increased and formalized contact between users and the hydro company, better information, and physical modifications are all highly relevant mitigating measures that would enhance the suitability of the study area for recreation within the existing regulation regime, with several of these measures specifically improving temporal substitution.