An Investigation of the Determinants of Reservoir Recreation Use and Demand: the Effect of Water Surface Elevation

摘要

This research report summarizes the results of an analysis of recreation use data from five reservoirs in the Little Rock District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The purposes of the study were: first to determine the effects of certain reservoir operating characteristics on the volume of recreation use and benefits; and second, to relate these results to more conventional analysis of recreation use based mainly on socioeconomic variables. In addition, the study suggests ways that the analysis of recreation use can be applied to benefit estimation for proposed projects. The investigation of relationships between certain operating characteristics of reservoirs and their use for recreation succeeded in finding no quantifiable or empirically relevant relationship except in the case of Greers Ferry Reservoir. In most cases the coefficient of water surface elevation was either of the wrong sign, not significantly different from zero, or both.