AUTHORS: Rebecca M. Krogman, Iowa Department of Natural Resources; Annika Preheim, Iowa Department of Natural Resources
ABSTRACT: Anonymous location data (ALD) provide travel and movement information based on mobile and "smart" devices' geolocations. When applied to a recreational location like a lake, ALD can provide metrics such as travel distance from home, trip duration, trip timing across days and seasons, and total visitation. These are essential metrics for recreational use studies, which have traditionally collected such data via mailed, telephone, or intercept survey. In Iowa, recreational use of public lakes and reservoirs is monitored every five years to identify areas for priority work, measure change over time, and assess recreational user opinions, behaviors while visiting, and needs. The Department of Natural Resources' (DNR's) Iowa Lakes Survey was conducted as an incentivized mailed survey in 2002-2005, 2009, 2014, and 2019, and was due to be completed again in 2024. However, as has been seen across survey science, response rates were declining, and DNR decided to conduct its 2024 Iowa Lakes Survey using a completely novel methodology: a combination of ALD and intercept survey of recreational visitors. With the travel metrics captured by ALD, intercept surveys could focus on preference and experience questions, making them shorter and more targeted. DNR initiated the 2024 Iowa Lakes Survey in April 2024 with intercept surveys being conducted statewide for 12 months. These data will be combined with ALD for the same time period to yield recreational information that is both comprehensive and representative of Iowa's resource users. Preliminary data from the spring, summer, and fall will be presented.
