Watercraft Access measures the number of large or small watercraft launches that are available in the major rivers in southeast Michigan. Increasing access for recreation opportunities and getting more people out on the water is an important goal for the watershed groups in this region.
How is it scored?
We scored this metric by determining whether or not a watercraft access point was available every 2 miles along a river’s main stem. The main stem, as identified by the appropriate watershed group, was divided into two-mile segments. Segments with least one access point were scored a 100%, while those without an access point were scored a 0%. The average score for all segments along the main stem were used to score the watershed. Watershed scores were population-weighted to calculate an overall regional score.
Data sources: Michigan Department of Natural Resources and stakeholder data.