The Economic Value of Water and Ecosystem Preservation

Table of Contents
Executive Summary.......................................................................................................... v
1. Overview of San Antonio Bay Region..................................................................... 1
1.1. Geographic Setting for the San Antonio Bay Region......................................... 1
1.2. Legal Setting in Texas Related to Freshwater Inflows ....................................... 2
1.3. Introduction to the Importance of Inflows.......................................................... 3
1.4. Conclusion .......................................................................................................... 5
2. The Role of Freshwater Inflows in Sustaining Estuarine Ecosystem Health in
the San Antonio Bay Region ............................................................................................ 6
2.1. Introduction......................................................................................................... 6
2.2. The Role of Freshwater Inflows to Sustain Estuarine Ecosystems..................... 6
2.2.1. Functional role of freshwater inflow........................................................... 6
2.2.2. Variable freshwater inflows........................................................................ 9
2.2.3. Effects of reduced freshwater inflows ...................................................... 10
2.3. Observed and Potential Effects of reduced freshwater inflows in the San
Antonio Bay Ecosystem................................................................................................ 12
2.4. Conclusion ........................................................................................................ 15
3. Characterization of Ecotourism in the San Antonio Bay Region of Texas ....... 17
3.1. Introduction....................................................................................................... 17
3.2. General Overview of Ecotourism ..................................................................... 18
3.3. Ecotourism in the San Antonio Bay Region..................................................... 20
3.3.1. Protected Areas of the San Antonio Bay: Valuable Natural Assets ......... 20
3.3.2. The Economics of Multiple Nature Tourism Services ............................. 25
3.3.3. Economic Impact of Ecotourism .............................................................. 28
3.4. Conclusions....................................................................................................... 30
4. Estimating the Value of Freshwater Inflows Supporting Ecotourism............... 32
4.1. Introduction....................................................................................................... 32
4.2. Key Site Details for the Analysis...................................................................... 33
4.3. Travel Cost Method - Analytical Approach and Description ........................... 33
4.3.1. Travel Cost Method - Survey and Data Description................................. 35
4.3.2. Travel Cost Method – Analysis and Results............................................. 36
4.4. Production Function Approach – Analytical Approach and Description ......... 38
4.4.1. Problems with representing freshwater inflows in a production function 38
4.4.2. Production Function Approach - Data ...................................................... 40
4.4.3. Production Function Approach – Analysis and Results ........................... 40
4.5. Conclusion ........................................................................................................ 43
5. The Socio-economic Environment of the San Antonio Bay Region ................... 44
5.1. County Socio-economic Information................................................................ 44
5.2. Analysis............................................................................................................. 54
5.2.1. Methodology............................................................................................. 54
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