Page 67 - Clackamas County Watertourism Strategic Plan. Final.v3

STRATEGIC PLAN FOR WATER-BASED TOURISM IN CLACKAMAS COUNTY, OREGON THE PEOPLE
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Regression Analysis

Regression analysis was used to determine which factors made a respondent more likely to say that their most
frequented water body is in Clackamas County. This is done to help identify Clackamas County’s unique assets and
strengths. Regression analysis is a statistical tool that is used to isolate the effects of individual variables when
several factors are causing a respondent to answer in a certain way. It asks the question, if all other factors are
held constant, what is the isolated effect of a single variable.

The five most frequently visited water bodies in Clackamas County are: Clackamas River; Timothy Lake; Willamette
River; Molalla River; and Sandy River. Two sets of regression analysis were used to answer the following questions:
1) what factors lead respondents to say that their most frequently visited water body is in Clackamas County;
2) what factors lead to more frequent overnight trips.

The Willamette River is the only water body in this analysis that is in more than one county. Therefore, regression
was performed twice, with and without the Willamette River. Results with Willamette River data show the
following:
• There is no statistically significant relationship between those whose most frequent water body is in
Clackamas County and their favorite sport. In other words, certain people are not attracted to Clackamas
County more often based on the water sports they prefer.
• Anglers are less likely to have a “most frequent” water body in Clackamas County than the average
respondent. While there are many excellent fishing destinations in the county, especially on the Sandy,
Salmon, and Clackamas, they are not frequented by a majority of the angler market.
• Clackamas County does not attract many flatwater paddlers today. This includes kayakers, canoeists,
paddleboarders, and rowers. Although flat water paddling can be enjoyed at many locations in the county,
especially Timothy Lake, Estacada Lake, Harriet Lake, the Willamette River and elsewhere, the county is not
attracting these types of water enthusiasts.
• Those with a favorite water body in Clackamas County are less likely to prefer either hotels or camping than
the sample average, both are statistically significant (p=.079 and .081 respectively). In other words,
Clackamas County attracts less water enthusiasts spending money on accommodations than the market average.

By removing the Willamette River from the analysis, we get a more accurate picture of Clackamas County. When Willamette is not included, the following variables are significant.