Nonmarket Valuation: Iowa Rivers & River Corridors Valuation Project

The principal goal of this project is to gather and analyze primary data on the use of and valuation associated with water quality improvements to Iowa’s primary rivers and streams. This project was motivated by the fact that a significant fraction of the state’s rivers and streams are on the list of impaired waters (IDNR 2006). However, despite the general concern regarding the condition of its waterways, the state has very little information about either the extent to which these rivers and streams are actually used or the value placed in potential water quality improvements. The first survey was sent out in October of 2009 seeking to gather information on visitation patterns of Iowans to 73 major rivers and river corridors in the state. Important information such as activities that households undertake at the sites with the rankings by time spent on each activity (e.g. fishing, hunting, and boating) was asked in the survey.

Economic Impacts of River Trail Recreation in Iowa
Daniel Otto, March 2012

Fact Sheet: Iowa Rivers and River Corridors Survey 2009

Final project report: “Understanding the Usage Patterns and Most Desirable Characteristics of Iowa’s Rivers and Streams”
Yongjie Ji, Joseph Herriges, and Catherine Kling, October 2010

Iowa Rivers & River Corridors Recreation Survey 2009

Interactive Map with trips, spending, and activites data