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<br />Water Management Study: Upper Rio Grande Basin <br /> <br />El Paso, Hansen and Hallum (1990) conclude that the marginal value of <br />water used for fishing is about $100 per af, measured in today's dollars. This <br />estimate does not include other types of recreational use that might benefit <br />from increasing the amount of water supporting the river's fishery. In a <br />summary of other relevant literature, Bonnie Colby (1993) reports that <br />increasing stream flows inthe Rio Chama during low-flow periods generates <br />recreational values of $16-27 per af, findings generally consistent with <br />similar research in the Rocky Mountains. In her own research, Colby has <br />found that, because the demand for whitewater rafting in the Wild & Scenic <br />portion of the river, near Taos, often is thwarted by low summer flows, <br />"agreements that would decrease agricultural diversions and leave more <br />water in the river during July and August for recreational and environ- <br />mental purposes would generate net benefits and stimulate economic activity <br />in some of the poorest areas ofthe Southwest." <br /> <br />i <br />~:: <br />i <br /> <br />l''; <br />;.<:' <br /> <br />~~ <br />< <br /> <br />Water-Quality Values. Changes in water quality can affect several types of <br />economic benefits derived from the Basin's water and related resources, <br />including the productivity of water used by agriculture and industry, its <br />suitability for human consumption and recreation, its cultural and religious <br />contributions, and the passive benefits to nonusers (Crutchfield et al. 1995). <br />No analysis specific to the Basin has been completed of how past changes in <br />water quality have affected these benefits or of how they might be affected by <br />future changes. Thus, one must rely on a more general literature to provide <br />the general parameters of the water-quality values applicable to the Basin. <br /> <br />c. <br /> <br />." <br /> <br />',.,,;: <br /> <br />One study, based on a detailed national survey, found that households <br />indicate a willingness to pay of about $240 per year, on average, to improve <br />surface water quality from "nonboatable" to "swimmable" (Carson and <br />Mitchell 1993). Survey research specific to New Mexico found households <br />indicating a willingness to pay $30 per year for five years to protect the <br />minimum instream flows needed to prevent extinction of the Rio Grande <br />silvery minnow, and $79 to provide minimum streamflows in all the state's <br />major rivers (Berrens et al. 1995). Research conducted for the U.S. <br />Department of Agriculture found that sediment generated by agricultural <br />practices on highly erodible land in the Mountain Region, which includes <br />Colorado and New Mexico, causes off-site damages of $1.12 per ton (1986 <br />dollars). <br /> <br />.s <br /> <br />:-:']: <br />i.-' <br /> <br />'::~< <br /> <br />Crutchfield et al. (1995) provide a summary of research on the benefits <br />associated with changes in groundwater quality. Some ofthe literature <br />indicates that households are willing to pay between about $35 and $80 per <br /> <br />jj~; <br />,1-":';", <br /> <br />62 <br /> <br />1<12943 <br />