Would you agree with the Cause and Effect premise of this statement?

[ibj40]

"Dive shop operators also report that decline in water quality of Lake Travis has affected local businesses. In 1993, there were 13 dive shops in Austin. Today there are three. This drop is largely due to water quality and reduced visibility under water."

 

[redacted]

BS. While Travis is bad this year, it was not bad last year. How many shops were there last year? Same as this year?

By the way, isn't the count at least 4 shops?

 

[carlislere]

I also say BS. I have seen some great visibility in the last two years at Lake Travis. BTW, There are four named dive retail stores in six locations in the Austin area.

 

[chrispete]

It may not be so much the quality of water as the quantity of water. I'll bet that when the stairs at Barstow's don't reach the water anymore a lot of people either don't know the other options available (Giant Stride, alternative shore entry points) or decide that using those other access points is a "hassle".

 

[Guba]

I would venture that the quality of the economy has much more to do with the number of divers/dive shops than the quality of the water.

For example, the water quality and reef diving has not deteriorated significantly in the Bahamas over the last five years, but the number of dive shops (and resorts, and restaurants, and retail stores...you get the picture) operating there has DEFINITELY shrunk drastically in that same span of time. I think it's pretty much the same cause/effect relationship everywhere.

 

[ianr33]

I think the quality of the dive shops is more to blame than the quality of the water!

 

[Jax]

"Dive shop operators also report that decline in water quality of Lake Travis has affected local businesses. In 1993, there were 13 dive shops in Austin. Today there are three. This drop is largely due to water quality and reduced visibility under water."

Hope you aren't trying to do a paper on that.

There are too many other factors affecting business to try and blame it on the water. The economy began its down-turn back then, first with the dot-com collapse, and later with the drops in the stock market. Businesses on the edge just couldn't keep up with all that pressure.

Also, who says (authoritative source?) that the water quality is 'bad'? Is the vis down because the water quantity is down? This can be the drought, as a cause. The visibility is worse because the same particles are now condensed into less water.

Bottom line: Neither the cause, nor effect, nor premise are logically sound.

 

[Jax]

Bet you could do a good cause and effect paper on 'the rise of the internet dive shop has affected local dive business'.

 

[cavemn]

I think the quality of the dive shops is more to blame than the quality of the water!

My super cool new JT is here complete with Edd's custom bungee setup. I can't wait to test it out in the crappy viz of Lake Travis.

 

[ibj40]

Hope you aren't trying to do a paper on that.

There are too many other factors affecting business to try and blame it on the water. The economy began its down-turn back then, first with the dot-com collapse, and later with the drops in the stock market. Businesses on the edge just couldn't keep up with all that pressure.

Also, who says (authoritative source?) that the water quality is 'bad'? Is the vis down because the water quantity is down? This can be the drought, as a cause. The visibility is worse because the same particles are now condensed into less water.

Bottom line: Neither the cause, nor effect, nor premise are logically sound.

Quote comes from a study commissioned by the Lake Travis Coalition.

Follow the link to the full report.

And thanks, all, for your candid comments and responses.