Did You Know the US Bureau of Reclamation is into Recreation and has a Newsletter

Posted: July 31, 2018 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment
The Brackish Groundwater National Desalination Research Facility is a focal point for developing technologies for the desalination of brackish and impaired groundwater found in the inland states. The facility, funded by the Bureau of Reclamation’s Research and Development Office, Desalination and Water Purification Research Program, opened in 2007 and is designed to conduct research on cost-effective advancements on: brackish ground water desalination, small-scale rural water systems, renewable energy integration, concentrate management, and produced water treatment.

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Looking at Shasta Dam from the auditorium in the Shasta Dam Visitor Center.

The Current
Reclamation’s Biweekly Newsletter

July 13, 2018

Summer is a busy time for people traveling throughout the country. The Bureau of Reclamation has several visitor centers at facilities across the West that share the benefits and history of these dams and facilities. If you are traveling this summer in an area where these visitor centers are located, please stop by and learn about these wonderful facilities.

Carl Hayden Visitor Center at Glen Canyon Dam (Arizona)
The Carl Hayden Visitor Center at Glen Canyon Dam is located in Page, Arizona, and features interactive exhibits, introductory films, a relief map of the entire Glen Canyon area. There are tours of the dam for $5. Glen Canyon Dam is the second highest concrete-arch dam in the United States, standing 710 feet tall. The 26.2 million acre-feet of water storage capacity in Lake Powell, created by Glen Canyon Dam, serves as a ‘bank account’ of water that is drawn on in times of drought. Learn more →

Flaming Gorge Dam Visitor Center (Utah)
The Flaming Gorge Dam and Visitor Center is located in Dutch John, Utah, and provides information on Flaming Gorge Dam and National Recreation Area. The visitor center here is a great place to start any tour of Flaming Gorge Country. A large 3D model, on-going films and interpretive displays give one a good overview of the myriad of recreational opportunities that await. Tours of the dam are available daily from April 15 through October 15. Learn more →

Grand Coulee Dam Visitor Center (Washington)
Grand Coulee Dam is one of the largest concrete structures in the world. It contains nearly 12 million cubic yards of concrete, enough to build a sidewalk four feet wide and four inches thick and wrap it twice around the equator. A laser light show, One River, Many Voices, is shown nightly on the face of the dam from Memorial Day weekend through September 30. The visitor center contains exhibits depicting Grand Coulee Dam’s role as a primary irrigation, flood control, and hydroelectric dam on the Columbia River. The exhibits also address the effects the dam has had on various groups of people, including Native Americans and early settlers. Learn more →

Hoover Dam (Nevada/Arizona)
Hoover Dam is a testimony to a country’s ability to construct monolithic projects in the midst of adverse conditions. Located 30 miles southeast of Las Vegas, Nevada, it took less than five years, in a harsh and barren land, to build the largest dam of its time. Now, years later, Hoover Dam still stands as a world-renowned structure. The dam is a National Historic Landmark and has been rated by the American Society of Civil Engineers as one of America’s Seven Modern Civil Engineering Wonders. The visitor center is open daily with three different tour options of the dam. Learn more →

Hungry Horse Dam (Montana)
Hungry Horse Dam is on the South Fork of the Flathead River, 10 miles south of the west entrance to Glacier National Park and 20 miles northeast of Kalispell, Montana. The Hungry Horse Project includes the dam,, reservoir, powerplant, visitor center, unique glory hole spillway, and switchyard. At the time of its completion, Hungry Horse was the third largest dam and the second highest concrete dam in the world. The visitor center is open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. beginning May 27 through September 10, although these dates are subject to change. Learn more →

Shasta Dam (California)
Shasta Dam is located about nine miles northwest of Redding, California, on the Sacramento River. Built during the seven-year period between 1938 and 1945, the dam is a 602-foot-high concrete gravity dam, which provides flood control, power, and water supply benefits. The tour staff at Shasta Dam invites you to take a free guided tour of the dam and power plant. Tours are offered 7 days a week. It includes going into the dam where guides will discuss the history, purpose and construction of this huge project. After the short walk through the dam, the tour visits the powerhouse for a chance to view California’s largest hydroelectric generating station. Learn more →

Yellowtail Dam Visitor Center (Montana)
Yellowtail dam is located in Fort Smith, Montana, and is a multi-purpose development providing irrigation water, flood control, recreation and power generation. The visitor center includes two films and several exhibits. It is open daily between Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day weekend. The dam is not accessible for tours. Learn more →
Recent News

The Rio Grande flowing through the Colorado town of Del Norte.
Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Brenda Burman announced that 27 entities were selected to receive a total of $2.6 million to establish or further develop watershed groups in order to address water quantity or quality through Cooperative Watershed Management Program Grants. Of the 27 entities selected, 19 are existing watershed groups, including one from the Virgin Islands, and 8 are establishing a new watershed group. Learn More →
Jeff Morris sitting.
Bureau of Reclamation’s Commissioner Brenda Burman announced that Jeffrey Morris was selected as the Manager for Native American and International Affairs. In this position, Morris will coordinate Reclamation’s Native American and International Affairs programs. Learn More →
Outlet works on dam in Yakima Basin.
The Bureau of Reclamation’s July 2018 Total Water Supply Available forecast for the Yakima basin indicates a full water supply for senior and junior water rights this irrigation season. This is an improvement for the junior users whose entitlements were limited to 96% of their full supply since June 11, based on the June TWSA. Prorationing is now 100%. Learn More →
RV campground has 11 renovated RV campsites with new sidewalks, fencing, information bulletin board and kiosk.
The Upper Conconully Lake Campground will open for the 2018 season beginning June 29. Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission will manage the facility in partnership with Reclamation. Reclamation closed the site in fall 2016 due to health and safety violations. Since that time, Reclamation work crews have renovated the campsites and updated the water well to meet industry standards. Learn More →
The Delta-mendota canal with a pipleine going over it.
The Bureau of Reclamation has released for public review the draft Environmental Assessment and draft Finding of No Significant Impact for the proposed approval of the annual return of up to 20,000 acre-feet of previously transferred Central Valley Project water from Reclamation-acknowledged water banks over a nine year period. Learn More →
Canyon Ferry Dam and Reservoir
The Bureau of Reclamation is hosting a Canyon Ferry Public Meeting on July 18, 2018. Topics of discussion will include information on campgrounds, marinas, the Shoreline Management Plan, Off-Highway Vehicle use, and Aquatic Invasive Species. Learn More →

Prize Competition

A link to a video describing the Pathogens Prize Competition.

As western U.S. water demand grows and water supplies become scarcer, wastewater reuse is becoming an increasingly important water management strategy. Wastewater is a drought-resistant and reliable water source that is readily available in urban centers for beneficial reuse. Bureau of Reclamation and Xylem, Inc, in collaboration with the Water Research Foundation and the Environmental Protection Agency are seeking the development of rapid, more accurate pathogen detection technologies that can facilitate public and regulatory acceptance of direct potable reuse. Ideas are being sought through a prize competition in which crowdsourcing is used to find and award the best ideas.
Virus-free. www.avast.com
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NSGA Research Newsletter: May 2012 Running is growing and Bicycle Imports up slightly!

Posted: June 8, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Cycling | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

NSGA

National Sporting Goods Association

Research Newsletter Compliments of the National Sporting Goods Association

Running/Jogging Participation Shows Strong Growth: Team Sports Mixed

Running/Jogging, which grew by 10.3% in 2010, continued its strong growth in 2011. Data in NSGA’s annual “Sports Participation – Series I and II” reports, now available, shows running/jogging with 38.7 million participants in 2011, an increase of 8.9% compared to 35.5 million in 2010. Since the association began surveying running/jogging in 1984 (29.5 million participants), participation has grown by 30.9%.Among sports and activities with 10 million or more participants, the overall percentage leaders were aerobic exercising and running jogging, both showing an 8.9% increase. Aerobic exercising increased from 38.5 million participants in 2010 to 42.0 million participants in 2011. Tennis (13.1 million) showed a 7.0% increase, followed by yoga (21.6 million), 6.9%; hiking (39.1 million), 3.8%; and backpack/wilderness camping (11.6 million), 3.7%.

The overall percentage leader was kayaking, which showed a 26.6% increase to 7.1 million participants. Several other activities with fewer than 10 million participants showed increases in 2011, including cross country skiing (2.3 million), 11.5%; and target shooting-shotgun (9.5 million), 2.0%.

Among traditional team sports, wrestling led with a strong increase of 9.4% to 3.2 million. Gymnastics continued to increase, up 7.6% to 5.1 million and soccer was up 3.0% to 13.9 million. Among the team sports showing a decline, ice hockey (3.0 million) was down 9.2%; volleyball (10.1 million) down 5.1%; softball (10.4 million) down 4.2%; tackle football (9.0 million) down 3.0%; basketball (26.1 million) down 2.9%; and baseball (12.3 million) down 1.9%. This contrasts with 2010 increases in basketball (10.1%), baseball (8.9%), ice hockey (7.9%), and tackle football (4.8%).

For this survey, a participant is someone age seven or older who takes part in the sport or activity more than once in a calendar year. “Sports Participation in 2011 — Series I and II” cover 47 sports, recreation and fitness activities.

These reports have been published by NSGA for more than 25 years. They provide data on total 2011 participation, frequency of participation, and mean (average) and median (mid-point) number of participation days. Single-time participation, which is not counted in the total, is included separately.

Demographic data on participants includes gender, age, mean and median age by gender, gender by age, household income, and education of male and female head of household. Geographic analysis includes nine census regions and metro area size.

For more information and/or pricing for these and other NSGA research reports, please contact the NSGA Research Department, (847) 296-6742, ext. 108.

 

 

Bicycle Imports Up Slightly but Unit Value Down

Bicycle imports rose only 2% through February 2012 Year-to-Date compared to February 2011 according to U.S. Department of Commercedata. Total units imported through February were 2,027,404 up 34,575 from February 2011.Imports of kids’ bikes were up 29% to 604,645 with a value of $18.3 million, through February.

Among adult bikes, imports of mountain and comfort bikes decreased 17% to 545,548 units, with a value of $72.7 million.

Imports of 27-inch and 700C bikes were basically flat at 235,713 (valued at $69.5 million) for the second month of 2012, compared to 236,624 units through February last year.

Average unit value of an imported bicycle fell 8% for 2012 from $103.00 in 2011 to $95.00 in 2012.

In 2011, 15.65 million bicycles were imported into the U.S., with a value of $1.40 billion. Unit imports decreased 21.0% but their value increased 23.6%.

In 2010, 19.77 million bicycles were imported into the U.S., with a value of $1.43 billion. Unit imports increased 33.2% but their value dropped 1.7%.