Contingent valuation study of the value of protecting riparian habitat In the Upper San Pedro River Basin, Arizona

Abstract

Sustaining the riparian resources of the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area (SPRNCA) is a challenge, due in part to competing water demands from agricultural and urban users in the Upper San Pedro River Basin in southeastern Arizona. Policymakers attempting to balance these interests seek ways to compare competing demands, often through economic valuation. Comparing the value of water across alternative uses is complicated by the fact that some uses such as the value of preserving riparian ecosystems do not have an observable value in a traditional economic sense (i.e. market values). Using a contingent valuation methodology (CVM) this study estimates a willingness to pay (WTP) by site visitors for riparian area preseration in the SPRNCA. The WTP was estimated from the results of a questionnaire-based survey of visitors at two key visitor locations. This study confirms that respondents place substantial positive economic value on riparian area preservation.