Explanation of Indicator
Boating is a popular activity in Florida. The state's abundance of navigable waters attracts many boaters. Boats vary in size and some are small enough that the boater may easily enter the water by merely picking up the boat or pushing it along grass and placing it in the water; however, most boat owners need some form of ramp in order to use their boat. Thus, the number of boat ramps is an excellent indication of the ability of boaters to access the water and enjoy the recreational uses of the coast.
Data Characteristics
SOURCE
This information is available from Lyle Fowler at the Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Recreation and Parks, Office of Park Planning, MS 525, 9900 Commonwealth Boulevard, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-3000, or at (904) 488-2300.
ACQUISITION
The data are available at no cost for the most recent update. Other years are available for a printing fee and must be ordered a few months in advance.
COLLECTION
The data are updated every two to three years and collected for each county. The last update was in 1991, and the 1995 summaries will be available around October 1995.
Data Limitations
These data have several limitations. First, the data are only available for one year; thus, at best, the results could be used as a benchmark for future years. Secondly, it is cautioned that due to budget constraints, the data were supplied by each site's administering agency or manger, and site-specific information may not accurately reflect the existence of the site or its features. Finally, the jurisdictions of some agencies overlap; thus, some sites may be counted twice.
Recommendations
The Florida Coastal Management Program should develop a survey of the number of boat ramps available in each county. The data should be collected by one agency at the county level to avoid double counting. The data should be updated every two to three years so that the number of launches available can be adequately monitored by each county and the state.