Visitor use surveys and water quality data indicates that high visitor use levels of two rivers in Puerto Rico does not appear
to adversely affect several water quality parameters. Optimum visitor use to maximize visitor defined satisfaction is a more
constraining limit on visitor use than water quality. Our multiple regression analysis suggests that visitor use of about
150 visitors per day yields the highest level of visitor reported satisfaction, a level that does not appear to affect turbidity
of the river. This high level of visitor use may be related to the gregarious nature of Puerto Ricans and their tolerance
for crowding on this densely populated island. The daily peak visitation model indicates that regulating the number of parking
spaces may be the most effective way to keep visitor use within the social carrying capacity.
Keywords Visitation model - Recreation management - Water quality - River visitation - Recreation impact analysis - Visitor satisfaction - Tropical rivers - Turbidity - Environmental carrying capacity - Puerto Rico - Use levels - Social carrying capacity - Peak visitation - Mameyes River - Espíritu Santo River