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Valuing instream-related services of wastewater
Citation:
Weber, M., T. Meixner, AND J. Stromberg. Valuing instream-related services of wastewater. Ecosystem Services. Elsevier Online, New York, NY, 21:59-71, (2016).
Impact/Purpose:
The results of the survey will provide information on the recreational and ecological value the effluent-dominated reaches of the Santa Cruz River represent to the public. The project is an interdisciplinary effort combining natural science modeling regarding the impacts of changing river flows on riparian vegetation, and social modeling quantifying the value of preserving such areas of perennial flow and tree cover. Several comparisons will be permitted in the results: public interest in river reaches at varying distances of the household from the river, river reaches of varying riparian forest quality, and ecological versus safe water contact attributes. The survey is the first known example of a stated preference valuation survey being conducted in-house by the Office of Research and Development of the USEPA. This paper is a product of SHC 1.1.1
Description:
In the southwestern US water resources are increasingly scarce, leaving perennial habitats and associated environmental amenities vulnerable to off-channel water demands. To provide management insight, the value of two instream flow related ecosystem services are estimated for two river reaches, for two separate population centers. Furthermore, well-known mixed logit models are compared with a relatively new generalized mixed logit framework. The case study is of a highly modified effluent-dominated waterway, yet strong support for maintaining wet river habitat was documented, apparently motivated more by ecological than recreational motivations. In general, the more distant river reach with more trees was more highly valued on a per mile basis, and the population center closest to both river reaches more highly valued their preservation. Support was mixed for increasing water treatment to allow safe full body contact. The more complex generalized mixed logit model tended to capture the most consistent results. Documentation of public values associated with the posed river management options assist decision-making for the case study and similar contexts lacking quantification of the value of instream flow related ecosystem services.
