Economic Value of the Christina River Watershed June 2013 Prepared for The Christina Basin Clean Water Partnership Prepared by: Emily Baumbach, Undergraduate ResearchAssistant Catherine Cruz-Ortiz, Post-Graduate Research Fellow Kate Miller, Gradute Research Assistant University of Delaware Water Resources Agency Institute for Public Administration School of Public Policy and Administration Newark, Del. Economic Value of the Christina River Watershed April 2013 Table of Contents Section Page List of Tables ................................................................................................................................. ii List of Figures ............................................................................................................................... iii Executive Summary ....................................................................................................................... 1 1. Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 2 Objectives ................................................................................................................................... 2 History......................................................................................................................................... 3 The Watershed ............................................................................................................................ 3 Land Use ..................................................................................................................................... 6 Population ................................................................................................................................... 8 Employment ................................................................................................................................ 8 2. Methods...................................................................................................................................... 9 Valuation Techniques ................................................................................................................. 9 Scope of Work ............................................................................................................................ 9 3. Economic Value ....................................................................................................................... 11 Water Quality ............................................................................................................................ 13 Water Supply ............................................................................................................................ 16 Fish/Wildlife ............................................................................................................................. 18 Recreation ................................................................................................................................. 18 Agriculture ................................................................................................................................ 19 Port of Wilmington ................................................................................................................... 20 Forests ....................................................................................................................................... 22 Public Parks .............................................................................................................................. 23 4. Ecosystem Services .................................................................................................................. 24 Related Research ....................................................................................................................... 24 Watershed Ecosystem Services................................................................................................. 25 5. Jobs and Wages ........................................................................................................................ 29 National Coastal Economy ....................................................................................................... 31 Farm Jobs .................................................................................................................................. 32 Fishing/Hunting/Bird and Wildlife Recreation Jobs................................................................. 32 Port Jobs .................................................................................................................................... 33 Outdoor Recreation ................................................................................................................. 34 Watershed Organization Jobs ................................................................................................... 34 Water Supply Jobs .................................................................................................................... 35 Wastewater Utility Jobs ............................................................................................................ 35 References .................................................................................................................................... 37 i Economic Value of the Christina River Watershed April 2013 List of Tables Table Page 1. Land use in Christina River watershed ................................................................................................... 6 2. Population of Christina River watershed by state .................................................................................. 8 3. Population change in the Christina River watershed, 2000-2010 ........................................................... 8 4. Total Employment in the Christina River Watershed ............................................................................ 8 5. Annual economic value of the Christina River watershed ................................................................... 13 6. Annual WTP for water quality benefits in the Christina River watershed ........................................... 14 7. Increased property value resulting from improved water quality ......................................................... 14 8. Added property value due to improved water quality in Christina River watershed ........................... 15 9. Drinking water treatment costs based on percent of forested watershed .............................................. 15 10. Value of Sewage-Treatment Plants’ Discharge in the Christina River Watershed ............................ 16 11. Public surface water withdrawals ....................................................................................................... 16 12. Community Public Water Supply Well in the Christina River watershed ......................................... 17 13. Economic value of reservoir storage in the Christina River watershed .............................................. 17 14. Freshwater-use values in the United States ........................................................................................ 17 15. Value of agriculture irrigation in the Christina River watershed ....................................................... 18 16. Value of wildlife recreation in Christina River watershed ................................................................. 18 17. Outdoor recreation activity in the Christina River watershed ............................................................ 19 18. Value of Cropland and Agriculture in the Christina River watershed ................................................ 20 19. Tax revenues from the Port of Wilmington ........................................................................................ 21 20. Port of Wilmington total TEUs as a share of East Coast and U.S. markets ....................................... 22 21. Port of Wilmington total tonnage as a share of East Coast and U.S. markets .................................... 22 22. Forest benefits in the Christina River watershed ................................................................................ 23 23. Value of public parks in the Christina River watershed ..................................................................... 23 24. Comparison of ecosystem goods and services values from various studies ....................................... 25 25. Value of Ecosystem Goods and Services in the Christina River watershed ....................................... 27 26. Low range of ecosystem services in the Christina River watershed .................................................. 27 27. High range of ecosystem services in the Christina River watershed .................................................. 27 28. Jobs and wages directly and indirectly related to the Christina River watershed............................... 29 29. Total Employment in the Christina River Watershed ........................................................................ 29 30. Direct and indirect watershed-related jobs in the Christina River watershed, 2009........................... 30 31. Ocean/coastal employment in the Christina River watershed ............................................................ 31 32. Jobs from farms in the Christina River Watershed ............................................................................. 32 33. Jobs from wildlife recreation