The number of users and their variety of recreation competes for the small spaces of the river and impairs the experiences of this national river for everyone.

When the Riverways was established in 1964 and use was mostly limited to canoes and low-horse powered fishing boats, few would have predicted the high volume of watercraft used in the Riverways today. The numbers of commercial and non-commercial tubes, rafts, and canoes, along with outboard motors and jet boats have significantly increased over the years and user conflict is at an all time high. The National Park Service has done little to address the carrying capacity of the rivers. It has become much more difficult to find recreation experiences on the Riverways where natural sounds and sights prevail.

The Park Service must identify the carrying capacity of the rivers for all uses. All concessions operations must be coordinated so as to ensure that conflicts are minimized. Existing horsepower regulations on boats must be enforced. Peace and quiet should be a priority resource.