| Relatively little research has been reported on reservoir water management conditions and recreational demands. Recent interstate compacts to allocate water among the States of Alabama, Florida, and Georgia could affect reservoir management policies and lake levels. Methods to determine recreational values for reservoirs under varying water management alternatives become very important to interested groups. Reservoir water level changes affect recreational user values, lakefront property values, and non-users preservation values toward the reservoirs.; Surveys were used to gather information on users, landowners, and nonusers of six reservoirs in east Alabama. User expenditures were obtained via direct interviews. Landowner values were obtained via a mail survey. Non-user preservation values were elicited via a telephone survey. Economic values were estimated for user expenditures and reservoir water levels through market segmentation and aggregation procedures. Current land values of lakefront property owners were estimated and spline regressions allowed estimation of property value changes due to changes in water management alternatives. Non-users within the six reservoir river basin area were asked contingent valuation questions to elicit their preservation values toward these reservoirs.; Annual 1995 user expenditures for Lake Martin were estimated to be {dollar}130.37 million, and would be reduced by 9.4% per foot decrease in summer full-pool water level. Aggregate Lake Martin lakefront property was valued at {dollar}1.005 billion for Lake Martin and was estimated to lose approximately {dollar}80 million in value for every foot reduction in summer full-pool water level. Non-user preservation values for the six study reservoir area were estimated to be {dollar}28.52 million for option, bequest, and existence values combined.; Results indicate the large values of reservoirs, which need to be considered when making water management decisions. |
