projects has doubled, but the number of visitors has increased more than six times. The total recreational use of Corps of Engineers reservoirs has expanded from approximately 16 million visitors at 50 major projects in 1950 to more than 106 million visitors at 250 reservoirs in 1960. This attendance has increased at the rate of 10 million visitors each year for the past 3 years and is expected to reach a total of at least 200 million visitors annually within the foreseeable future. The 250 reservoirs of the Corps of Engineers now in operation throughout the major river basins of the Nation provide approximately 3 million acres of water surface and 3 million acres of land along more than 21,000 miles of shorelines, mostly suitable for a wide range of outdoor, water-related recreational use, and made available to the public at over 4,000 improved access points. A summary of project data pertaining to recreational development and public use of Civil Works projects of the Corps of Engineers as of 1959 is included in Appendix I of this report. Types of Use. The development and management of these new water areas is also complicated by the variety in the types of public use for which a demand and need have developed. The Corps of Engineers has no detailed breakdown of the estimate of public use among the various types of recreation but on the basis of records at a number of projects it is estimated that the great majority of public use involves activities such as fishing, boating, swimming, camping and picnicking. There is of course a substantial amount of purely "sight-seeing" traffic attracted by the projects and the lakes they impound. The Boating has become increasingly popular as is attested by the number of boats that are drawn by autos over our highways. enforcement of safety regulations on many reservoirs of the Corps has been a major task. This aspect of management will be aided by the Federal Boating Act of 1958, Public Law 85-911, which provides for cooperation and coordination of ownership and operation of boats and related equipment to promote boating safety on the navigable waters of the United States. The large water impoundments provided at these projects have made an outstanding contribution to sport fish conservation in the United States over the past decade through creation of new sport fishing resources and provision of extensive sport fishing opportunities. Recreational use of 150 of the reservoirs of the Corps of Engineers for sport fishing alone totalled nearly 20 million mandays during 1959, an increase of more than 4 million man-days of fishing annually over the past 3 years. Family type recreational use for picnicking, camping and swimming has become increasingly important and accounts for a substantial part of the visitation at project areas. In parts of the country, such as the Southeast, Gulf, Southwest and South Pacific areas, and even to a lesser extent in colder areas, recreational use is on a year-round basis. In almost all cases, however, peak attendance occurs during the summer months. Legislative Authority and History. The Congress recognized the recreational potential of Federal reservoir projects and the responsibility of the Federal Government to make these recreational resources available for public use by enactment of Section 4 of the Flood Control Act of 1944, as amended by Section 4 of the Flood Control Act of 1946 and Section 209 of the Flood Control Act of 1954. The provisions of that Act are as follows: "SECTION 209. That section 4 of the Act approved July 24, 1946 (Public, Numbered 526, seventy-ninth Congress), is amended to read as follows: "The Chief of Engineers, under the supervision of the Secretary of the Army, is authorized to construct, maintain, and operate public park and recreational facilities in reservoir areas under the control of the Department of the Army, and to permit the construction, maintenance, and operation of such facilities. The Secretary of the Army is also authorized to grant leases of lands, including structures or facilities thereon, in reservoir areas for such periods, and upon such terms and for such purposes as he may deem reasonable in the public interest: Provided, That leases to non-profit organizations for park or recreational purposes may be granted at reduced or nominal considerations in recognition of the public service to be rendered in utilizing the leased premises: Provided further, That preference shall be given to Federal, State, or local governmental agencies, and licenses, or leases where appropriate, may be granted without monetary considerations, to such agencies for the use of all or any portion of a reservoir areas for any public purpose, when the Secretary of the Army determines such action to be in the public interest, and for such periods of time and upon such conditions as he may find advisable: And provided further, That in any such lease or license to a Federal, State, or local governmental agency which involves lands to be utilized for the development and conservation of fish and wildlife, forests, or other natural resources, the licensee or leasee may be authorized to cut timber and harvest crops as may be necessary to further such beneficial uses and to collect and utilize the proceeds of any sales of timber and crops in the development, conservation, camping and picnicking. There is of course a substantial amount of purely "sight-seeing" traffic attracted by the projects and the lakes they impound. Boating has become increasingly popular as is attested by the number of boats that are drawn by autos over our highways. The enforcement of safety regulations on many reservoirs of the Corps has been a major task. This aspect of management will be aided by the Federal Boating Act of 1958, Public Law 85-911, which provides for cooperation and coordination of ownership and operation of boats and related equipment to promote boating safety on the navigable waters of the United States. The large water impoundments provided at these projects have made an outstanding contribution to sport fish conservation in the United States over the past decade through creation of new sport fishing resources and provision of extensive sport fishing opportunities. Recreational use of 150 of the reservoirs of the Corps of Engineers for sport fishing alone totalled nearly 20 million mandays during 1959, an increase of more than 4 million man-days of fishing annually over the past 3 years. Family type recreational use for picnicking, camping and swimming has become increasingly important and accounts for a substantial part of the visitation at project areas. In parts of the country, such as the Southeast, Gulf, Southwest and South Pacific areas, and even to a lesser extent in colder areas, recreational use is on a year-round basis. In almost all cases, however, peak attendance occurs during the summer months. Legislative Authority and History. The Congress recognized the recreational potential of Federal reservoir projects and the responsibility of the Federal Government to make these recreational resources available for public use by enactment of Section 4 of the Flood Control Act of 1944, as amended by Section 4 of the Flood Control Act of 1946 and Section 209 of the Flood Control Act of 1954. The provisions of that Act are as follows: "SECTION 209. That section 4 of the Act approved July 24, 1946 (Public, Numbered 526, seventy-ninth Congress), is amended to read as follows: "The Chief of Engineers, under the supervision of the Secretary of the Army, is authorized to construct, maintain, and operate public park and recreational facilities in reservoir areas under the control of the Department of the Army, and to permit the construction, maintenance, and operation of such facilities. The Secretary of the Army is also authorized to grant leases of lands, including structures or facilities thereon, in reservoir areas for such periods, and upon such terms and for such purposes as he may deem reasonable in the public interest: Provided, That leases to non-profit organizations for park or recreational purposes may be granted at reduced or nominal considerations in recognition of the public service to be rendered in utilizing the leased premises: Provided further, That preference shall be given to Federal, State, or local governmental agencies, and licenses, or leases where appropriate, may be granted without monetary considerations, to such agencies for the use of all or any portion of a reservoir areas for any public purpose, when the Secretary of the Army determines such action to be in the public interest, and for such periods of time and upon such conditions as he may find advisable: And provided further, That in any such lease or license to a Federal, State, or local governmental agency which involves lands to be utilized for the development and conservation of fish and wildlife, forests, or other natural resources, the licensee or leasee may be authorized to cut timber and harvest crops as may be necessary to further such beneficial uses and to collect and utilize the proceeds of any sales of timber and crops in the development, conservation, |