Boating in Northern Minnesota: Summer 2006
The northern lake region study is the latest in a series of regional boating studies conducted by the Minnesota DNR since the mid 1980s. The northern lake region is the most remote of the lake regions from Minnesota’s main population concentration, which is in and about the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area. And this remoteness—and associated lower boating intensities in more natural, less developed settings—is a leading attraction of the region to boaters.
The northern lakes region is one of Minnesota’s major water-recreation tourist areas. The region supports numerous resorts, campgrounds, water accesses, and seasonal homes, all of which attest to the attractiveness of lakes in the area.
The study has three broad goals: describe the many facets of the boating experience; measure the total number of boats on lakes and trace those boats to their means of access; and provide information to guide public access programs. The goals are accomplished through a combination of aerial observations and boater surveys with public access users, commercial access users (e.g., resort guests) and lakeshore residents.
