Recreational-benefit estimation for lake water-quality improvement: a comparative analysis

Conference · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1980

OSTI ID:6461848

Liu, B C

The primary objective of this study was to develop a model by which the economic values of those presently not marketed services provided by lake water body can be quantitatively assessed and the effectiveness of the public investment projects evaluated. The technical procedures underlining the model are illustrated as follows: first, a utility function relating travel cost and person-trips to the lake is developed in a demand function for lake recreation; secondly, the demand functions and the consumer surplus measures under the functions are exposed; thirdly, the shifts of the demand functions, before and after the project, are assessed so that the net benefit of the project can be represented by the changes in the consumer surplus per person-trip; finally, the incremental changes in the value of total consumer surplus gained or lost, per period of time, are determined and consequently, the cost-effectiveness of the restoration project evaluated accordingly. A site-specific lake demonstration project is used as a case study in this cost-effectiveness evaluation model. The feasibility and empirical difficulties of the model are also illustrated.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Lab., IL (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-31109-ENG-38
• OSTI ID: 6461848
• Report Number(s): CONF-8010195-1; ON: DE81023829
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
290300 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Environment
Health
& Safety
520500* -- Environment
Aquatic-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS
DATA
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
INFORMATION
LAKES
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MATHEMATICS
NUMERICAL DATA
RECREATIONAL AREAS
REGRESSION ANALYSIS
STATISTICS
SURFACE WATERS
WATER QUALITY
WATER RECLAMATION