The Economics of Clean Water- Lakeshores

- People are attracted to Minnesota lakes and rivers
that have good water quality and relatively pristine environments. But just how much are buyers of lakeshore property willing to pay for water quality
and a natural environment? How much will property prices change with a change in water quality?

-According to a Bemidji State University study of 1205 properties on thirty seven lakes in the Mississippi River headwaters area, “property prices paid are higher on lakes having higher water quality. In other words, buyers of lakeshore properties prefer and will pay more for properties on lakes with better water quality. Therefore, sustaining and/or improving lake water quality will protect and/or improve lakeshore property values.” Researchers found that a change in water clarity (an increase or decrease) can influence property values by as much as $400 per foot of shoreline, or $32,000 on an 80 foot lot.

- Clean water also affects our communities; a Maine study showed that lake water clarity declining below the regional average caused a loss in property value --and a resulting loss in tax valuation for the community. A 3-foot decline in average minimum water clarity would cause a loss of $10.5 million, roughly 5 percent in total property value. And next door in Wisconsin, each year 1.4 million licensed anglers spend 22 million days fishing and $1.1 billion on retail goods. That spending generates $2.1 billion in economic activity and $90 million in tax revenues. High quality recreational activities and clean water go hand in hand.

- “It's not possible to accurately assign dollar values to the thrill, excitement and enjoyment that many of us have in watching a beautiful sunset on a lake, seeing watery reflections of the full moon on a still summer night, catching a fish, or hearing the distinctive, haunting calls of a distant loon. Yet, vacationers and tourists spend large sums of money while enjoying area lakes…Those who do not fully appreciate the beauty and recreational use of lakes may find the substantial income from lakes to be adequate justification for keeping them in a healthy state through use of best management practices.” – H. Dziuk & S. Heiskary (LakeLine, Vol. 23, No. 3, Fall 2003 issue)

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To find out more about the economics of clean water, check out this fact sheet or page 3 of the Nov-Dec 2003 issue of Shore to Shore for a summary of the BSU study.

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Best Management Practices for Lakeshore Owners

Lakeshore BMPs focus on restoring natural vegetative buffers to reduce erosion and lawn chemicals reaching the lakes. BMPs for lakeshore owners include lakescaping, shoreland restorations, and installing rain gardens. Soil erosion along the lakeshores can result in serious pollution of a lake. The restoration of shoreland buffer zones significantly reduces erosion and helps stabilize eroding shores.

The CWP and its partners also offer additional financial incentives for landowners who participate in eligible lakescaping and shoreline restoration programs.

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Educational CD-Roms available for check-out -- Restore Your Shore: A guide to protecting & restoring the natural beauty of your shoreland & Healthy Rivers:A Water Course -- An interactive tool to understand the ecology & management of river systems. These multi-media guides will introduce you to water quality concepts & help landowners plan their own shoreline restorations. If you are interested in checking out either of these resources, email Sarah.
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For more information about Crystal Loon Mills CWP programs or general lakeshore BMPs, check out the links below…

CWP Lakeshore BMP Brochure

The Water's Edge

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To see pictures of some amazing lakeshore transformations and watch a video on lakescaping and restorations or for other notes on plants and design, follow these links:

Lakescaping and Shoreland Restoration Before/After Photos.

Lakeshore Restoration Video – actually watch the restoration process unfold and see pictures of beautiful shoreline buffer plants (from Blue Thumb.org)

Project Cost Calculator – Wondering how much your ideal raingarden or shoreline project will cost? This calculator (from Blue Thumb.org) will help you estimate how much to budget.

Native Plants for Gardens, Raingardens & Shoreline Stabilization – Quick & easy native plant resource for just about any condition, with color pictures! (from Blue Thumb.org)

Shoreline Buffer Strips –This Lake Notes pamphlet introduces the basics of bufferstrips and provides plant lists for different areas of the lake shore ( from the Illinois EPA)

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