Economic Value of Visitation to Free-Flowing and Impounded Portions of the Ocklawaha River in Florida: Implications for Management of River Flow

The debate to restore the natural flow of Florida’s Ocklawaha River or keep the impoundment (reservoir) has been ongoing since the construction of a dam as part of an abandoned cross Florida barge canal project in 1968. This study contributes to economic studies assessing trade-offs of dam removal by estimating the economic benefits and regional economic contribution of recreation at the reservoir and the upstream free-flowing river. We find that the river-based recreation generates greater benefits and contributions than the reservoir. The trade-off between restoring the river ecosystem and loss in economic value for reservoir-related recreation can potentially be mitigated. Policy implications of the findings are discussed.