Pokegama Bay rustic boat launch improvements increase visitor use and improve visitor experience

Abstract

The Pokegama Bay rustic boat launch in the Superior Municipal Forest got an upgrade in September 2021. The City of Superior, collaboratively with the Lake Superior Reserve and the Wisconsin Coastal Management Program, received competitive funding from the National Estuarine Research Reserve System to add a garbage bin, recycling bin, bathroom, parking lot, dock, native plantings, interpretive signage, and a paddle craft launch to the site. Improving access to Superior’s remarkable waterways was the goal of the Pokegama Bay rustic boat launch project, so visitor use was evaluated before and after the project. This evaluation found significantly more visitor groups used the launch after improvements were made.