Chapter III

Executive Summary

Efforts to build a public aquatic center in the Mission Valley have been made for a number of years without success. Mission Valley Aquatics, a not-for-profit organization made up of individuals from the Polson, Montana area, have rekindled the effort and re-established a number of partnerships. This feasibility study, written on behalf of Mission Valley Aquatics, examines the local swimming related conditions, demographic data, national and statewide recreational trends, expressed community support, potential facility types and locations, construction costs, long-term financing and organizational sustainability options.

Research conducted for this study indicates local residents can support an aquatic facility. If a number of factors are adequately accounted for, up to 44,000 annual visitors and annual revenues of $125,000 or more could be generated after a few years of operation.

Due to a number of factors it appears Polson is the Mission Valley community that could best support an aquatic facility, although Pablo also provides a promising opportunity.

For a local aquatic facility to be constructed the community would have to get behind the project by donating cash, services and materials. A funding package that includes a recreational bond also appears to be necessary due to the limited size of the local market. Such bonds are difficult to pass, but if the costs were reasonable and the public was convinced of the value of the project, recent history indicates bond passage is possible.

For a Mission Valley aquatic facility to be sustainable it must provide features and programs not available elsewhere. These include a warm water pool, children’s play features, a clean, safe, attractive environment and activities such as aqua aerobics, swimming lessons and programs targeted toward senior citizens. Features such as exercise equipment, a day care and an on-site physical therapy office would also increase the number of visitors. Because such recreational facilities typically are not self-supporting in smaller markets, on-going taxpayer operational funding would be necessary.

The likelihood of success will depend on the amount of time, effort and public support Mission Valley Aquatics can generate. Examples of recent similar, successful projects throughout western Montana are highlighted in this study and Mission Valley Aquatics is encouraged to learn from their efforts.

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Chapter I Existing Conditions

In order to determine the feasibility of developing an aquatic facility in the Mission Valley it is necessary to examine the existing demographic and swimming-related conditions. This evaluation will help to determine the levels of need and competition for an aquatic facility. The core market for such a facility is typically made up of local users, as opposed to visitors from outside of the area. Visitors can add to the revenue stream, but the facility should strive to serve the local market first.

Primary Service Areas

An area with a 15-mile radius is commonly used to assess the recreational needs and number of potential users within a population. This area is called the primary service area and refers to the distance people will travel on a regular basis (once per week) to utilize an aquatic facility or its programs. The boundaries of the primary service area support a driving distance (15 to 20 minutes) that people will regularly travel. Within that distance, of course, are people who would also regularly walk or bicycle to a facility. It is important to note that due to the somewhat rural nature of the Mission Valley and the specialized nature of an aquatic facility, residents from outside of the primary service area can be expected to travel to the facility with some regularity. Therefore, a 15-mile primary service area is a conservative baseline from which to project user figures.

This chapter evaluates three primary service areas, as shown on Figure 1. Each of the primary service areas has a 15-mile radius that is centered on the communities of Polson, Pablo and Ronan. Due to the close proximity of the communities to each other, there is a great deal of overlap in the primary service areas. However, the three communities each have their own distinct characteristics.

The incorporated City of Polson is the seat of Lake County government and had a permanent year round population of 4,041 persons during 2000, making it the largest community in the Mission Valley. The Polson primary service area population during 2000 was 16,757 full time residents. Polson is located on the southern shore of Flathead Lake and provides a relatively wide variety of shopping opportunities to a steadily growing number of residents and visitors. Polson has the highest taxable value and more assets under bank management than any other community in the Mission Valley. The Polson area is also a summer destination and the local population swells by three or four times on some weekends as visitors from all over the state and country enjoy Flathead Lake and the surrounding region.

Located approximately six miles to the south of Polson is the unincorporated town of Pablo. Pablo had a 2000 population of 1,814 persons and a primary service area population of 17,452 persons. The Pablo area grew by almost 40 percent from 1990 to 2000, which was easily the fastest rate of growth of any community in the Mission Valley during that period. Pablo is the headquarters of the Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes as well as a number of Tribal enterprises, educational facilities and programs. The town is located along U.S. Highway 93 and has government and educational facilities, residential areas and businesses along the east and west sides of the highway.

Also located along U.S. Highway 93 approximately five miles south of Pablo is the incorporated City of Ronan. Ronan had a year 2000 population of 1,812 persons within the city limits and had a primary service area population of 17,906 persons, which is the largest of the three. Ronan is arguably the agricultural center of the Mission Valley and provides services to residents throughout the area.

In evaluating the potential of these areas to provide the best location for serving the aquatics needs of the local public, a number of national and statewide trends are important to consider. These trends can be roughly divided under the headings of general swimming data, age distribution, educational attainment and annual household income. The final section of this chapter provides potential user numbers that can be used to generate revenue projections.

General Swimming Data

In national, statewide and local assessments, swimming has been found to be one of the most popular recreational activities and the need for swimming facilities has been reported to be very high. On the national level, the USDA Forest Service and the University of Tennessee’s 1999-2000 National Survey on Recreation and the Environment reported that 60 percent of non-institutionalized, civilian Americans swam at least once during the year-long survey period. A 2003 report by the National Sporting Goods Association reported that approximately 22 percent of Americans over seven years of age swam more than once during the previous year. The variation in swimming participation percentages between the two studies can be attributed to the methodologies employed and other factors. Based on these and other national studies, it is estimated that up to 20 percent of the American population participates in swimming on a fairly regular basis.

The National Sporting Goods Association has reported that swimming participation, although it is quite high compared to other activities, declined by about 17 percent from 1991-2001. However, the study noted an overall drop in physical recreational activities in the American public as a whole.

The American Recreation Coalition’s study titled Outdoor Recreation in America, 2003: Recreation’s Benefits to Society Challenged by Trends reported that swimming was one of the top three recreational choices for the public (walking/running and driving for pleasure were the other two), although swimming lags behind the national participation rate in the western United States. The lower participation rate in the west could be due in part to the rural nature of most of the west, the lack of developed swimming facilities and the general abundance of outdoor recreational opportunities throughout the region.

Swimmers prepare for a race. Photo courtesy of the Ravalli Republic.

In Montana, the Department of Commerce’s 1999 study titled Recreation Participation Patterns by Montana Residents reported that 32 percent of respondents stated that at least one member of their household swam during the year-long survey period. The Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks’ Montana 2003-2007 Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan reports that Montana residents stated the recreation facilities in highest demand are swimming pools. At the local level, this plan reports the facility needs mentioned most frequently by land and recreation managers were swimming pools. The 2002 Community Needs and Attitude Assessment by the Lower Flathead Valley Community Foundation also reported that swimming pools were one of the most desired recreational facilities throughout the Mission and Jocko Valleys. Survey data collected for this feasibility study by Mission Valley Aquatics is presented in Chapter II.

Age Distribution

The age and family status of swimmers is an important factor in determining the number of visitors that can be expected to use an aquatic facility. The 1999 Montana Department of Commerce’s study titled Recreation Participation Patterns by Montana Residents reported that households with children were far more likely to engage in recreational activities than those without children. A 2001 study by the American Recreation Coalition reported that 51 percent of adults with children at home participate in swimming. This study noted that recreation participation by families with children has been shown to be generally above the national average and families with one or more children under the age of seven are the most active. The study states that family members participate in a mean number of 5.4 recreational activities annually versus 4.7 for the average adult. This study also indicates that families participate above the national average in most activities and especially in swimming (14 points above average).

According to data published by the National Sporting Goods Association and other sources, 7 through 11 year olds have the highest percentage of swimming participation, and the target market for an aquatic recreation facility is typically 5 to 17 year olds. Also, due to the size of their population and because they tend to have children who swim, 35 to 44 year olds participate in swimming in the greatest overall numbers.

As the population ages, there appears to be less demand for strenuous recreational activities, although the health and fitness benefits are arguably as great with older segments of the population as with younger ones. A number of surveys point toward greater demand for activities like walking, golf, fishing and motorized recreation in older segments of the population. The 2000 Montana Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System report noted that adults aged 65 and older were most likely to be inactive, significantly more so than younger adults. The report also states that 18-29 year old adults were far more likely to report engaging in physical activity than those aged 65 or older and that physical inactivity increases with age. However, if an aquatic facility is built in the Mission Valley, the older segment of the population should be targeted with age-appropriate programming (water aerobics in a warm water environment, walking paths leading to and within the facility, etc.) due to the free time many older residents enjoy as well as the health benefits of low impact exercise.

The table below provides a percentage breakdown of age groups within the three different primary service areas. Figures for the United States as a whole are also included for comparison and are based on 2000 U.S. Census Bureau data. The table shows strong similarities in population percentages across age groups due in large part to the close proximity and overlap of the primary service areas. The target age group for aquatic facilities is typically 5-17 year olds as well as their parents. All three areas exceed the national average for this younger age group.

Table I-1

Primary Service Area Population Ages Percentages

Primary Service Area	Less than 5	5-19	Ages 20-44	45 Years and Older
Polson	5.9%	23.9%	27.7%	42.5%
Pablo	6.1%	25.2%	28.6%	40.2%
Ronan	7%	26%	30.3%	36.7%
United States	6.8%	21.8%	36.9%	34.4%

As stated previously in this chapter, the total population of the Polson primary service area was 16,757 in 2000, while Pablo had 17,452 residents and Ronan had 17,906 residents. The U.S. Census Bureau does not publish future population projection figures on the city or town level, but does so at the county level. According to the Census Bureau, Lake County is predicted to grow by 18 percent from 2000 to 2010. Based on the Census Bureau’s 2000 population and future growth projection figures, the Polson primary service area has a 2004 population of 17,963 residents, while the Pablo and Ronan primary service areas have 2004 populations of 18,708 and 19,195 residents. The future population growth of Lake County is also predicted to remain strong across all age groups. The Census Bureau projects Lake County will grow from 2000 figures by 28 percent to 2015 and by 47 percent to 2025.

The following table provides a breakdown of households within the three different primary service areas and the United States as a whole. The figures presented below are based on 2000 U.S. Census Bureau data.

Table I-2

Primary Service Area Households

Primary Service Area	Number of Households	Households with Children	Percentage of Households with Children
Polson	6,584	2,483	38%
Pablo	6,460	2,354	36%
Ronan	6,651	2,654	39%
United States	105,653,773	38,022,115	36%

As the above table illustrates, all three primary service areas have a percentage of households with children equal to or greater than the national average. The Ronan primary service area may have a slight edge in terms of the total number of households, households with children and the percentage of households with children. However, when accounting for statistical variation and margin of error, the numbers and percentages are roughly equal. It must be noted that the similarities in data across the primary service areas are largely due to the overlapping populations within those areas.

Educational Attainment

In much of the published recreation related research there appears to be a correlation between educational attainment levels and participation in recreational activities. In the study titled Recreation Participation Patterns by Montana Residents, the Montana Department of Commerce stated that persons with a college degree or greater reported significantly higher participation rates than those with a high school diploma or less. The Montana Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System reported that 44 percent of adults with less than a high school education were inactive while only 15 percent of college graduates were inactive. This report also noted that the percentage of physically inactive adults decreased correspondingly with increasing educational attainment levels.

As the following table shows, 2000 U.S. Census Bureau data indicate in all three of the primary service areas the national average for attaining less than a high school diploma is greater than in the local areas. Also, a higher percentage of local residents has a high school diploma than the national average. U.S. Census Bureau data indicate the local population has some advanced training and bachelor’s degree levels roughly equal to or exceeding the national average. However, the local population is lower than the national average in terms of attaining advanced degrees.

Table I-3

Educational Attainment Level in the Primary Service Areas

Primary Service Area	Less than HS Diploma	HS Diploma Only	Advanced Training, Less than Bach. Degree	Bachelor’s Degree	Advanced Degree
Polson	15%	33%	28%	17%	7%
Pablo	15%	32%	28%	17%	7%
Ronan	14%	35%	27%	15%	6%
U.S.	19.6%	28.6%	27.3%	15.5%	8.9%

Because a predictor of potential user numbers appears to be educational attainment level, the Polson and Pablo primary service areas have a slight advantage over the Ronan area in this category in that 52 percent of the population has at least some advanced training past high school. This is roughly equal to the national average of 51.7 percent, while in the Ronan primary service area, roughly 48 percent of the population has at least some advanced training.

Annual Household Income

In Recreation Participation Patterns by Montana Residents, the Montana Department of Commerce notes than households with more than $50,000 in annual income were far more likely to participate in recreational activities than households with incomes ranging between $20,000 and $50,000. Similarly, those households with less than $20,000 in annual income were less likely to participate in recreational activities than households with annual incomes ranging between $20,000 and $50,000. This segment of the study concluded that households with children and households with incomes greater than $50,000 were the most likely to participate in recreational activities. This study reported a clear correlation between income, education and higher participation in outdoor recreation. The above-cited Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services’ April 2000 study also found that adults with annual household income levels of $35,000 or more were more likely to be active than adults with less than $35,000 in household income. These and other studies point to the conclusion that affordability of any recreational activity is a key issue.

Table I-4

Annual Household Income

Primary Service Area	Less than $20,000	$20,000 - $35,000	$35,000 - $50,000	Greater than $50,000
Polson	30%	24%	17%	29%
Pablo	29%	26%	16%	29%
Ronan	31%	25%	17%	26%
United States	22%	19%	17%	42%

As the above table indicates, all three of the primary service areas have a significantly larger percentage of households earning less than $35,000 annually than the United States as a whole. The data also show the three primary service areas as having a roughly equal percentage of households earning between $35,000 and $50,000 as the United States, but far fewer earning more than $50,000 per year. Using annual household income as a measure, the Polson and Pablo primary service areas have a slightly larger percentage of households earning $35,000 or greater than the Ronan area. It must also be noted that the cost of living in all of these areas appears to be less than the national average while the annual household income is significantly less. Therefore, the amount of discretionary income available to local residents is limited.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 1999 across the United States, 13.6 percent of families with children under the age of 18 lived in poverty. During that year the Montana poverty rate for families with children was 16.4 percent, the Lake County rate was 23.1 percent and the Flathead Indian Reservation rate was 24.9 percent.

Current Aquatic Recreational Facilities

The Mission Valley contains a number of places for summertime swimming and aquatic recreation used by residents and visitors. These places can be considered competition for a future aquatic facility in the Mission Valley during the summer. The major water bodies are Flathead Lake, McDonald Lake, Mission Reservoir, St. Mary’s Lake, Lake Mary Ronan, the Flathead River and the swimming pools at the Boys and Girls Club of the Flathead Indian Reservation. According to Tribal Wildland Recreation Department, Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks and Polson City staff, limited data are available on the actual number of annual swimmer days. However, based on personal observation and visitation data from the Montana state park system, these natural resources support hundreds of thousands of swimmer days for locals and visitors during the summer period. In addition to these water bodies, there are also a number of other local reservoirs, creeks and even irrigation canals that allow local bathers to cool off on hot summer days.

All of the above-named water bodies have developed facilities for water users. On Flathead Lake, the City of Polson manages Riverside Park, Sacajawea Park and Boettecher Park for swimmers. During past years lifeguards were on duty during summer days at Riverside and Boettecher Parks but they were not present during the summer of 2004 due to budgetary limitations. Swimming lessons are periodically provided at Boettecher Park and all of the City waterfront parks also have sanitary, picnic and playground facilities. Salish Point, which falls under the cooperative jurisdiction of the City of Polson and the Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes and is adjacent to Sacajawea Park, is also heavily used by swimmers during the summer months. Water temperatures in Flathead Lake range up to about 77 degrees Fahrenheit, although the swimming season only typically lasts for three months from around mid June to mid September.

The Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks manages a number of state parks on Flathead Lake that are used by area swimmers. These parks include the Big Arm, West Shore, Wildhorse Island, Wayfarers, Yellow Bay and Finley Point Units of the Flathead Lake State Park system, in addition to four fishing access sites at various locations. Visitation data provided by Fish Wildlife and Parks indicate that the above parks and fishing access sites saw over 230,000 visitors in 2003. Of these, Fish, Wildlife and Parks estimates 25 percent are swimmers, resulting in over 57,500 swimmer days in the Flathead Lake State Park system during 2003.

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A young boy enjoys the cool waters of Flathead Lake on a hot summer day.

The Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes provide access at Elmo and maintain a developed facility at Blue Bay. A number of other small public access points also exist along the lakeshore. Due to its scenic beauty, centrally located and multiple free access points in Polson as well as all of the other amenities it provides, Flathead Lake must be considered the greatest competition for a new aquatic facility in the Mission Valley during the summer months.

However, while Flathead Lake is both enjoyable and popular, it does have some limitations. At Riverside and Boettecher Parks and at Salish Point, swimmers recreate alongside boaters, which presents safety and liability concerns. There are no truly organized or comprehensive swimming lesson programs so many residents do not learn to swim proficiently. Also, the water temperature is sufficient to swim for a relatively short period each year and when the water is warmest, swimmer’s itch, an irritating skin condition resulting from bacteria associated with waterfowl feces, is present in the shallowest bays.

The Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes provide developed facilities at McDonald Lake, Mission Reservoir and St. Mary’s Lake that are used by the Tribal and non-tribal public. These water bodies are located in scenic mountain basins and are fed by snow melt so the water temperatures are typically colder than in Flathead Lake. No user rates are available for these water bodies.

The most heavily used and only quasi-public swimming pools in the Mission Valley are located at the Boys and Girls Club of the Flathead Reservation along U.S. Highway 93 in Ronan. The Boys and Girls Club has two above-ground swimming pools that measure approximately 20 feet long by 14 feet wide and are four feet in depth. Boys and Girls Club members, ages five to 18, use the pools from June through August during week days. The pools have vinyl, tent-like covers that, according to the facility manager, are difficult to keep in good repair. The club offers swimming lessons and serves up to 110 children per day during the hottest periods of the year, most of whom are from the Ronan area. The facility provides between 3,000 and 5,000 swimmer days during the summer, depending largely on the weather. The pools are also used for water aerobics by a local group that donates the proceeds to the Boys and Girls Club.

One of the two outdoor swimming pools at the Boys and Girls Club of the Flathead Indian Reservation in Ronan, Montana.

Compared with the other programs the Boys and Girls Club offers, the swimming pools take a great deal of resources to keep up. Costs include propane for warming the water (the pools are heated to 86 degrees Fahrenheit), swimming lessons and lifeguard staff, and operation and maintenance. The Boys and Girls Club is located on Tribally-owned property and the facility will have to be moved in approximately 2009 for reconstruction of U.S. Highway 93 through Ronan. The Boys and Girls Club received both the pools and the operation and maintenance funding for the pools in a grant from the Lower Flathead Valley Community Foundation. Other assistance comes from federal grants and a small portion comes from fundraisers and user fees.

In 2003 the Boys and Girls Club charged $30 per two week period to local youths to use the pools. This charge reportedly proved to be a barrier to many local youths families and swimmer participation dropped off. In 2004 the fee was $5 for a club membership with unlimited use of the swimming pools. According to the manager of the Boys and Girls Club, most of the children walk, ride their bicycles or are dropped off by their parents at the facility. Barriers to increased use include the capacity of the pools (about 20 kids at a time), parents concerned about inadequate supervision and the image of the facility for some teenagers who think the pools are not cool. Financing is also reportedly a problem, with many youth recreation grants being targeted toward after school programs instead of summer programs. Based on conversations with the facility manager, it seems likely the Boys and Girls Club would be interested in partnering with Mission Valley Aquatics to provide for some of the recreational needs of area youth, particularly when the club is forced to move later this decade.

In addition to the Boys and Girls Club pools, there are a number of private pools in the Mission Valley. The Best Western KwaTaqNuk resort on Flathead Lake in Polson has an indoor pool where guests recreate and swimming lessons are occasionally offered. Local orthopedic doctors and physical therapists operate a small therapeutic pool to treat their patients in the Polson area. Also, in a locally funded effort, the people of Charlo constructed an outdoor swimming pool but the project has not been completed due to the costs associated with operating the facility. Other pools exist in the area, but provide for the aquatic needs of relatively few area residents.

User Projections

Projecting the likely number of users of an aquatic facility in the Mission Valley at this early stage is a difficult task because there are so many variables to consider. These variables include user cost, facility features, seasonal verses year-round operation, distance from Flathead Lake and programming options. However, demographic data, an evaluation of local recreational opportunities and national aquatics participation trends provide some important factors to consider. These include:

1. In all of the primary service areas the percentage of 5-19 year olds exceeds the national average.

2. In all of the primary service areas the percentage 45+ year olds also exceeds the national average.

3. In the Polson and Ronan primary service areas, the percentage of households with children exceeds national averages while in the Pablo primary service area, the percentage of households with children equals the national average.

4. In all of the primary service areas the educational attainment level exceeds the national average with the exception of the percentage of the local population with advanced degrees, which is below the national average.

5. In all of the primary service areas, household income in the $50,000+ per year range is well below the national average, although the local cost of living appears to be below the national average.

6. All segments of the local population are expected to continue to grow at a steady rate.

7. The facility must be easily accessible, affordable, clean, safe and provide recreational opportunities not available elsewhere.

8. The presence of convenient and affordable access to Flathead Lake and other water bodies makes for stiff competition during the summer months.

9. Because the Mission Valley is fairly rural and sees a substantial number of visitors during the summer months, the out-of-town users of an aquatic facility can be expected to increase baseline local user figures.

10. Research provided in other studies shows that at community recreation centers across the United States, roughly 15 to 20 percent of the population participates in active recreational activities.

11. Other sources indicate that roughly 20 percent of the population participates in swimming on a fairly regular basis.

Based on the demographic data within the three primary service areas, national and statewide aquatic and recreational participation trends and comparisons with aquatic facility user rates in other markets, it can be estimated that an average of five percent of local population from a primary service area is likely to use an indoor aquatic facility on a weekly basis if the factors detailed below are addressed. Using 2004 population estimates, this translates into an average of 898 weekly users in the Polson primary service area, 935 weekly users in the Pablo primary service area and 959 weekly users in the Ronan primary service area. To be conservative, one should subtract the weeks surrounding the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays and four weeks during the summer when the lake is irresistible. These figures result in up to 41,308 annual visitors to a facility in Polson, 43,010 annual visitors to a facility in Pablo and 44,114 annual visitors to a facility in Ronan. These figures are estimates and do not guarantee a certain level of visitation, but can be used for planning purposes if the following factors are adequately addressed.

The facility must be easily accessible, affordable, clean, safe and provide recreational opportunities not available elsewhere. The entry fee for a facility would also have an impact on user rates, as would hours of operation and programming options. A major determinate in user rates will also be seasonality, where local school districts and swim teams could add to user figures and revenue if an indoor facility were built, although the costs of construction, operation and maintenance would also increase substantially. Also, the presence of complimentary features and services such as a day care, indoor or outdoor walking paths, cardiovascular and weight training equipment and others could add a substantial boost to user rates. Additionally, the weekly local user rate for a facility in Polson may be less than shown above during the summer months due to affordable and high quality access to Flathead Lake. However, the out-of-town visitor rate seems most promising in Polson due to its status as a recreational destination.

When examining only demographic data, all of the primary service areas appear to be roughly equal in terms of their ability to support an aquatic facility. The Ronan primary service area has a slight advantage in terms of age distribution, total population and households with children. The Polson and Pablo primary service areas have a slight advantage over Ronan in terms of educational attainment levels and annual household income. However, given statistical variations and margins of error, these differences are not sufficient to differentiate one primary service area from another.

According to a number of aquatic recreation professionals, a primary service area of 15,000 residents is necessary to support an outdoor aquatic facility, with significantly more residents needed to support an indoor one. All of the primary service areas have more than 15,000 residents but less than 20,000. As stated above, there are a number of high quality and heavily used aquatic recreation sites in the Mission Valley, although almost all of them are outdoors. Because competing with Flathead Lake and the other natural water bodies will be a challenge during the summer months, some of the features and programs that could be incorporated into an aquatic facility are water park type facilities, organized swimming lessons, competitive programs, aqua aerobics, aqua therapy, etc. These programs would serve both local residents and attract visitors from outside of the area. Perhaps most importantly, an aquatic facility would also have to be cost effective for area families due to their limited discretionary spending capacity.

The race is on. Photo by Jared Dort, compliments of the Verde Independent.

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Chapter II Community Involvement

Since the inception of Mission Valley Aquatics in 2002, volunteers associated with the group have been holding regular fund raising events and establishing momentum to build an aquatic facility. Mission Valley Aquatics members have given presentations to city council members, county commissioners, tribal council members, school district boards, hospital personnel, the Polson Chamber of Commerce and numerous service groups. Their efforts have resulted in widespread support for the project, although it is reportedly tinged with a degree of skepticism. The skepticism stems from the fact that community members and groups have been discussing building an aquatic facility for a number of years with no success to date.

For this feasibility study, local outreach efforts included meeting with the superintendents of the Polson and Ronan/Pablo public school districts, representatives of Salish Kootenai College, the Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes, the Salish Kootenai Housing Authority, the Lower Flathead Community Foundation, the Boys and Girls Club of the Flathead Reservation, local health care providers, law enforcement personnel, community development professionals, city council members, county commissioners, city and county public works staff and senior citizens. The purposes of the outreach effort were to inform interested parties of Mission Valley Aquatics’ efforts to build an aquatic facility, to solicit ideas for making this idea a reality and to build partnerships. The comments and ideas of the various parties are included throughout this document. All of the persons contacted expressed significant interest in the project and many expressed a willingness to support the construction and ongoing operation of an aquatic facility. However, up to this point, no concentrated effort had been made to evaluate the overall level of public support.

To better gauge the level of public support, Mission Valley Aquatics developed a questionnaire that was distributed to 12,500 homes and businesses on the Flathead Indian Reservation through monthly Mission Valley Power bills. It must be noted that not all of Mission Valley Power’s account holders received a copy of the questionnaire. Mission Valley Power serves 16,000 homes and businesses on and off the Flathead Indian Reservation and only 12,500 surveys were included in the mailings. According to a Mission Valley Power representative, the areas that surveys were not mailed to include the area from south of Polson to north of Pablo and the Elmo, Big Arm, Dayton, Charlo and Arlee areas. Because of the lack of comprehensive questionnaire distribution, there are limitations with the results of this questionnaire.

The questionnaire was designed to solicit information from heads of households regarding demographic characteristics, aquatic participation rates, desired facility features and facility financing. The outreach effort was publicized by local radio stations and newspaper articles. Of the 12,500 distributed questionnaires, 519 were returned by mail for a response rate of just over four percent. This response rate is not generally considered statistically significant, but is not considered a poor rate of response for a mail-in survey. Although the respondents mailed in 519 questionnaires, not all of the respondents answered every question. The results of the survey are presented in the following paragraphs and a summary is presented at the end of this chapter. A copy of the questionnaire is presented in Appendix A of this document.

Demographic Characteristics

The first question asked respondents what town they lived in. Of the 517 responses to this question, almost 70 percent of the respondents indicated they lived in Polson, 14 percent indicated they lived in Ronan, eight percent indicated they lived in St. Ignatius and the remaining eight percent stated they lived in other local communities. Based on the above answers and the geographic areas the survey was circulated to, the results of the survey are heavily weighted in favor of Polson area respondents. Because the survey did not ask whether respondents lived within the municipal boundaries of Polson, Ronan or St. Ignatius, which are the only three incorporated areas of the Mission Valley, it can be assumed the respondents live within or within close proximity to those municipalities.

The second question asked the respondents to include the number of persons within their households and to list the ages of all of those persons. Of the 512 responses to this question, approximately 15 percent indicated they lived in one-person households, 45 percent indicated they lived in two-person households and approximately 40 percent indicated they lived in households with three to 10 persons.

The respondents to this question identified a total of 1,329 people in their households. An age breakdown is presented in the following table.

Table II-1

Age Breakdown

Age	0-5	6-12	13-19	20-29	30-39	40-49	50-59	60-67	70+
Number	95	150	160	65	142	185	198	186	148
Percentage	7%	11%	12%	5%	11%	14%	15%	14%	11%

The age breakdown shows 405 children ranging 0 to 19 years of age and 392 persons ranging from 20 to 49 years of age. These numbers represent the families with children who are typically the most likely to participate in recreational activities. Children make up 30 percent of the total while persons who are within the usual parenting range make up 30 percent of the total. Those persons age 50 and over, who typically do not have children at home, make up 40 percent of those accounted for in the survey question. The above percentages are roughly equal to the age breakdowns in the three primary service areas of Polson, Pablo and Ronan.

The third question asked respondents to indicate the highest level of education attained by members of their household. Because respondents could indicate more than one choice, a total of 724 responses were received to this question on the 519 survey forms mailed in. Out of 724 responses, 28 percent of the respondents indicated the highest educational attainment level was a high school or general equivalency diploma, 15 percent cited vocational training and 12 percent indicated someone in their household has obtained an associates degree. These educational attainment rates are somewhat consistent with the educational attainment rates shown in Chapter I.

However, 28 percent of the respondents to this question indicated someone in their household had obtained a bachelor’s degree and 18 percent indicated someone in their household had obtained a graduate degree, for a total of 46 percent. When compared with the educational attainment levels presented in Chapter I, where no more than 24 percent of the population in any of the three primary services areas obtained a bachelor’s and/or advanced degree, these results indicate a high percentage of the most educated segment of the population responded to this survey.

The results of this question in particular are heavily weighted in favor of Polson area respondents, where 48 percent of the respondents indicated the highest level of educational attainment in their household is either a bachelor’s or advanced degree. By contrast, 36 percent of Ronan area respondents indicated the highest level of educational attainment in their household is either a bachelor’s degree or an advanced degree.

Question number four asked respondents to indicate their approximate annual household income. The following table shows a breakdown of the 470 responses to question number four.

Table II-2

Responses to Annual Household Income Survey Question

Overall household Income	Number of responses	Percentage
$0 - $10,000	28	6%
$10,001 - $20,000	59	13%
$20,001 - $30,000	71	15%
$30,001 - $40,000	85	18%
$40,001 - $50,000	63	13%
$50,001 - $60,000	63	13%
$60,000 plus	101	22%

As stated in Chapter I, households with annual incomes greater than $50,000 are the most likely to participate in recreational activities and those households earning between $35,000 and $50,000 are more likely to participate in recreational activities than those earning less. In the case of this survey, 35 percent of the respondents indicated their household income is greater than $50,000 compared with no more than 29 percent of the households in any of the primary service areas evaluated in this study. The higher local rate of high-income households participating in this survey is still less than the national average of 42 percent (in year 2000 figures). However, this high rate of participation, coupled with the fact that only 18 percent of the respondents indicated their households earns less than $20,000 compared with up to 30 percent of the primary service area households, confirms that local persons in the higher income categories responded to this survey. It is also interesting to note that 66 percent of the responses to this question indicate their households earn more than $30,000 annually, which appears to be far a greater percentage than the average household income in any of the primary service areas and is not far below the national average.

The fifth and final demographic question asked respondents to identify their ethnicity. Out of 434 responses to this question, 81 percent identified themselves as White, 15 percent identified themselves as Native American, and four percent identified themselves as Hispanic, Asian or Other. According to 2000 U.S. Census Bureau data, just over 71 percent of the Lake County population and 68 percent of the Flathead Indian Reservation residents identified themselves as White. This points to the conclusion that a disproportionate percentage of people who responded to this survey question identify themselves as White. One reason for the disproportionate response could be the Elmo, north Pablo and Arlee areas did not receive questionnaires and these areas have sizeable numbers of Native American residents.

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Learning to swim in a backyard pool.

Aquatic Recreation Participation

Question number six can be broken down into four separate parts. The first part asked whether the respondents or a member of their household swam during the previous 12 months. Of the 509 responses to this question, 77 percent of the respondents indicated the answer is yes while 23 percent indicated the answer is no. The 77 percent affirmative response rate greatly surpasses any of the studies evaluating swimming participation that are cited in Chapter I. This could be due to a number of factors including the high quality, low cost lake access in the Polson and Mission Valley area, as well as the fact that aquatic recreation survey respondents are more likely to be swimmers than the national or statewide populations.

The second part of question number six asked respondents to identify the general locations at which they swam during the past 12 months. A total of 390 responses to this question were submitted and respondents could indicate they swam in more than one location. The following table shows the types of swimming locations cited by respondents, the number of individual responses for each water body and a percentage breakdown.

Table II-3

Water Bodies, Number, and the Percent of Respondents Indicating They Swam in a Particular Type of Water Body

Water Bodies	Number of Responses for Each Water Body	Percent of Responses for Each Water Body
Lake, Pond or River	312	80%
Hotel Pool	248	64%
Private Pool	73	19%
Health Club Pool	53	13%
Public Pool	47	12%
Other	37	10%
Ronan (Boys and Girls Club) Pools	7	5%

As the above table indicates, the vast majority of respondents to question number seven indicated they or a household member swam in a lake, pond or river during the past year, which is not surprising given the natural resources in the area. What is surprising is the number of respondents who indicated they swam at hotels, private pools, health clubs and public pools. This is surprising because the KwaTaqNuk resort in Polson is the only hotel in the Mission Valley with a pool and it is a relatively small one. Also, there are relatively few private pools and no health clubs or public pools in the immediate area. This points to the conclusion that many of the respondents swam while visiting other areas. However, it is not clear whether they traveled to other destinations in order to swim or simply happened to swim while they were in other areas.

This question also asked respondents to indicate the number of days they or a member of their household swam per location. The following table shows the responses to this portion of question number six.

Table II-4

Number of Swimmer Days by Location

Swimmer Days	Lake, Pond or Pool	Hotel Pool	Health Club	Ronan Boys and Girls Club	Private Pool	Public Pool	Other
< 10 days	86	171	36	8	34	28	16
10-20 days	97	44	5	3	16	4	8
21-30 days	55	3	2	3	5	2	4
31-40 days	12	3	2	0	2	2	1
41-50 days	16	1	1	1	2	0	0
51-60 days	11	1	2	0	2	0	1
> 60 days	18	2	1	0	5	4	2
Totals	295	225	49	15	64	40	32

The above table indicates a high level of swimming participation among questionnaire respondents. Two-hundred ninety five respondents indicated they swam in a lake, pond or pool at least once, 112 respondents indicated they swam in one of those locations more than 20 times and 29 respondents indicated they swam in those locations at least 50 times during the past year. Given the fact that most of the local swimming locations are seasonal, this seems to indicate weekly and even daily swimming among a number of the respondents. The table also shows that 225 respondents swam in hotel pools during the past year, with the majority of respondents indicating they swam there 20 times or less. As stated above, the only local hotel pool in found in Polson. This seems to indicate the respondents took advantage of swimming opportunities while visiting other locations and may point to the desire of respondents for more swimming opportunities. Again, it is not clear whether the respondents traveled to swim or simply swam while traveling.

The fourth part of question number six asked respondents if there is a particular aquatic facility they prefer and to state why they prefer using it. In addition to local swimming options such as Flathead Lake, respondents cited examples of swimming pools from Fernie, British Columbia to Salt Lake City, Utah. While it is difficult to determine trends from these responses, some reasons for enjoying particular facilities were mentioned a number of times. The most often mentioned reasons were safety, cleanliness, water temperature, attractiveness, convenient location, affordable admission price and facilities that offer multiple components such as hot tubs, saunas, water slides, locker rooms and other fitness related equipment.

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Children cooling off under spray arches on a hot summer day in McKinney, TX

The seventh question asked respondents to circle or write in what factors are preventing them and members of their household from swimming more than they do at present. As with many of the other questions on this survey, respondents could cite more than one reason. There were a total of 1,026 responses to this question and the following table shows the responses in descending order.

Table II-5

Reasons Cited for Not Swimming More

Reason Cited	Number of persons	Percent
Water is Too Cold	280	27%

Mission Valley Aquatics

Executive Summary 1

Primary Service Areas

Table I-3

Overall household Income