Applying GIS Methods to Economic Value of Recreation as it Relates to Water Delivery

Project ID: 1291
Principal Investigator: Earl Ekstrand
Research Topic: Water Resource Data Analysis
Funded Fiscal Years: 2004
Keywords: None

Research Question

What is the highest and best economic value for specific water supply of a given water basin managed by the Reclamation?

How will that value change with modifications in flows?

Population, earth science, and economic data will be assembled and processed in a geographic information system (GIS) format to answer these questions along with recognition that spatial components affect these values resulting from integrated water deliveries.

Need and Benefit

Regional managers have to consider numerous components when deciding water delivery questions. Economic issues are one of these components. This effort is based on the need to provide Reclamation managers with comprehensive information related to economic recreation values of resources within a region or watershed and how different recreation sites interact with changes in water deliveries. The purpose is to inventory and evaluate existing data and interpret this data using geospatial technologies in future research.

Currently, there are hundreds of studies available for decisionmaking, but not in a form that allows use or interpretation in an easy manner. For example, a manager of resources in the middle Snake River would be able to use the results of this research to find values for recreation activities, along with known recreation levels for each reservoir and river segment within the area of interest showing how these reservoirs are affected by changes in water deliveries. For areas/rivers/reservoirs without current information, a technology-transfer function would be used to estimate values for activities. Other data could be added as needed.

Contributing Partners

Contact the Principal Investigator for information about partners.

Research Products

Please contact research@usbr.gov about research products related to this project.

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Last Updated: 6/22/20