Estimating the Benefits of Instream Flows: Case Studies From Arizona and New Mexico

Abstract

Water instream provides many benefits, including opportunities for water-based recreation and the preservation of riparian habitats. This thesis contributes to our understanding of the instream benefits of water by estimating the recreational benefits of stream flows at four sites in Arizona and New Mexico. Aggregate total and marginal benefits are computed, and the effect of higher flows.on aggregate benefits is examined. The convergent validity of benefit transfer is also analyzed. The results show that the direct transfer of benefit estimates from one site to another site does not produce valid estimates even under relatively controlled conditions. The transfer of the benefit function is shown to yield valid estimates for the two Arizona sites, but not for the New Mexico sites. Possible explanations for this result are analyzed.