Chapter VII - Economic and Financial Analysis

Document: Chapter VII, Economic And Financial Analysis: "Pacific Southwest Water Plan", August 1963, page 4Fish and Wildlife Benefits--Fish and wildlife benefits of considerable value will result from the new reservoirs and water-service facilities proposed under the plan. A median demand for about 25,000,000 man-days of fishing per year will arise in the State of Arizona during the 100-year period of project analysis. This estimate is based upon the application of current rates of fishing in Southwestern States to a projected population of 10,000,000 in the State of Arizona. Today Arizona, with a total population of about 1,300,000 people, provides nearly 2,000,000 man-days of fishing. Based directly upon rates of fishing in other Southwestern States, over 3,300,000 man-days of fishing per year would occur immediately if adequate fishing areas existed within day-use distance of the centers of population. Conditions quite similar to the above also occure within the Pacific Southwest area insofar as it extends into New Mexico, southern California, and other States contiguous to the Lower Colorado River Basin. Development of the proposed plan could help meet the public demand by providing opportunities for approximately 1,708,300 man-days of fishing. This estimate is based on assumed conditions of intensive fisheries management, optimum public access, and adequate control of conflicting uses such as water-skiing and speedboating. If 60,000 acre-feet of water were provided annually for fish and wildlife management, as has been requested by the Arizona Game and Fish Department, 2,000,000 man-days of additional fishing could be provided therewith. Additional California and Arizona wildlife management areas would contribute an additional 27,000 man-days of hunting. It should be pointed out, however, that some losses to fish and wildlife are likely to occur on the Lower Colorado River with channelization and phreatophyte control. These losses probably can be minimized through appropriate project planning and adoption of mitigating measures. The value of benefits to the fish and wildlife activities is shown in table 22. Greater detail of the fish and wildlife features and costs are contained in the appended report prepared by the Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife. Recreation Benefits--Outdoor recreation activities benefits other than those to hunting and fishing will also occur from the construction of the works proposed under the plan. The proposed reservoirs would provide an attraction for two major types of recreationists, and these are geographically separated: (1) the extended weekend and summer vacation users who would be primarily attracted to the large reservoirs in the upstream portion of the Lower Basin, and (2) daily and weekend use emanating from the Phoenix VII-4Epson Perfection 4870 Photo, 400 dpi, 8 bit, 2,856,739 byte