Angling and recreation values of low-flow alleviation in rivers

This paper assesses the benefits to anglers and other recreation users of increasing flows along low-flow rivers to some environmentally acceptable flow regime (EAFR) from the current low-flow situation. Using different contingent valuation and stated preference techniques, the paper estimates the relative magnitude of the benefits of low-flow alleviation (LFA) to anglers compared with other recreation users. The benefits to anglers alone outweigh the costs of LFA in two of the seven rivers evaluated in south-west England. The value of informal recreation justifies LFA on another three rivers. Only where the costs of LFA are extremely high (in two of the seven rivers) do recreational benefits fail to exceed the costs of implementing an environmentally acceptable flow regime in these rivers. The inclusion of recreation values in decisions on water abstraction would result in greater environmental protection of rivers in Britain.