The Economic Value of Water and Ecosystem Preservation

and shellfish species and estuarine life upon which such fish and shellfish are
dependent (State of Texas, 2005).”
In response to House Bill 2 (1985), Senate Bill 683 (1987), Senate Bill 1
(1997), and other legislative directives, the Texas Water Development Board
(TWDB) and the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) jointly maintain a
data collection and analytical study program focused on determining the effects
of and needs for freshwater inflows to the state's bays and estuaries. A schedule
announced in 1998 provided for the study through 2006 of all of the Texas
estuaries, minor bay systems, river estuaries, and coastal preserves.
1.3. Introduction to the Importance of Inflows
Within this context, Texas Parks and Wildlife determined that 1.15 million
acre-feet of fresh water is the lowest inflow target value that fulfills the biological
needs of the estuary on a seasonal basis (Texas Water Development Board,
2006). Nonetheless, as water demands continue to increase over the next two
decades, low flows during extended droughts may be prolonged to the point of
causing serious permanent ecological damage to the estuary. For example,
during the drought of 1956, the inflow was as low as 275,082 acre-feet (Texas
Water Development Board, 2006). Potential damages to the San Antonio Bay
could in turn have significant adverse effects on local communities and economic
activities, such as tourism and fishing that are supported by these ecosystems.
San Antonio Bay is especially vulnerable to changes in timing of flows since
it lacks a direct connection to the Gulf. It may become mostly fresh following a
flooding event or hyper-saline during drought conditions. From 1941 to 1987, the
Bay received an average of 2.3 million acre-feet of inflow annually. The overall
rates of freshwater inflows increased during this period, “which can be attributed
to increased urbanization in the watershed, increased groundwater pumping and
return flows and increased precipitation in the latter period (Longley, 1994).”
In addition to the existing information regarding freshwater inflows data
ecological freshwater requirements, some information also exists concerning the
economic value of bays and estuarine ecosystems along the Texas coast. A July
2003 publication of the State of the Bays estimated that the Texas coastal
estuaries as whole generated roughly $2 billion annually from recreational fishing
alone. Commercial fisheries averaged another $266 million annually (Mckinney,
2003). Travel to coastal-based destinations accounts for about 30% of travel in
Texas, translating into $10 billion in economic benefits each year. Much of these
benefits are dependent on healthy estuaries (Mckinney, 2003).
The Texas Water Resources Institute (TWRI), in the May 2001 study,
“Impacts of Recreational and Commercial Fishing and Coastal Resource-Based
Tourism on Regional and State Economies”, also yielded important data
regarding the economic value of Texas’ estuaries (Jones and Tanyeri-Abur,
2001). Their study area covered the six Texas bays and estuaries, including the
Sabine-Neches estuary, the Trinity-San Jacinto estuary, the Lavaca-Tres
Palacios estuary, the Guadalupe Estuary, the Nueces-Mission-Aransas estuary,
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