The Economic Value of Water and Ecosystem Preservation

Executive Summary
The San Antonio Bay Region, formed where the Guadalupe River meets the
Guadalupe Estuary, teems with life. The San Antonio Bay and its related
intracoastal system cover an area of approximately 100 square miles. The
majority of the freshwater inflows to San Antonio Bay come from the Guadalupe
and San Antonio Rivers which have historically supplied about 80% of the total
freshwater inflows into this estuary (Longley, 1994).
Estuarine ecosystems provide myriad ecosystem functions, including many
goods and services used by humans. These estuarine ecosystems are
dependent upon freshwater inflows in order to maintain their ability to function
properly. There are many complexities in the system due to relationships
between species, nutrients, and other input factors into the ecosystem.
In general, the roles of freshwater are relatively well understood, although the
precise impacts of marginal changes in flows are not known at this time. More
important than a large quantity of inflows is the large seasonal fluctuation of
inflows. Many organisms depend on the ecosystem for different periods of their
life cycles. Seasonal fluctuations, droughts, and floods are all necessary in order
to maximize the productivity of estuaries for fishery purposes. While increased
inflows generally have a positive and linear correlation with increased fish
populations, if inflows are consistently high, estuary productivity can decrease.
Impacts on the Freshwater Inflows to the San Antonio Bay
The San Antonio Bay region’s uniquely diverse habitats and ecosystems are
experiencing increasing pressure from human development. This ecosystem will
have to adapt to varying amounts of freshwater inflow due to human
development especially in and around the city of San Antonio. An adequate
amount of water is of critical importance to sustaining the remarkable biodiversity
of the Bay, yet the ecosystem’s water needs are only recently beginning to be
addressed. Given the mounting pressures on the environment, it is increasingly
important that adequate freshwater is allocated to sustain the ecosystem.
Ecotourism in the San Antonio Bay Region
As more and more people have become aware of the ecological treasures
that exist there, ecotourism has developed into a rapidly growing sector of the
regional economy. Ecotourism in the San Antonio Bay can have a significant
impact on the local economy. In 2003 more than 71,000 people visited the
Aransas National Wildlife Refuge to view flocks of migratory birds and other
wildlife. Ecotourists provide business to hotels, nature-tour operators and
restaurants. In addition, various hotels, RV parks, nature tours and outdoor
recreation stores advertise their role in the ecotourism industry and the
availability of good birding opportunities located nearby.
However, due to the lack of consistent and complete data, it is difficult to
quantify the economic impact of ecotourism on the San Antonio Bay region.
Currently, comprehensive data on the number of people that come to visit the
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