Willingness to Pay for Riparian Zones in an Ozark Watershed

AbstractClear Creek watershed, located in the Ozark Mountain Region of Northwest Arkansas, has experienced ecosystem degradation as a result of increased urbanization. Riparian zones are known to play an integral role in maintaining ecosystem integrity and are often used as management tools for protecting watershed ecosystem services, especially in urbanizing areas. To determine whether residents of the Clear Creek watershed would be in favor of the establishment and maintenance of riparian zones in their region, a mail survey was conducted using contingent valuation methods (CVMs) to elicit local willingness to pay (WTP) for riparian zones. The study found that residents were willing to pay an average of $80.07 in increased state income taxes for the ecological services provided by riparian zones. Bid amount, income, and attitude toward willingness to pay were shown to have the most significant influence on the residents’ overall WTP. Survey results were also used to assess residents’ abilities to perceive ecosystem quality as a factor of WTP but analysis found this perception to be insignificant in affecting respondent WTP.