Understanding regional economic impacts of recreation spending at a public lake: A case study in rural Oklahoma, USA. (September 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Frakes, Adam; Joshi, Omkar; Poudyal, Neelam C.
• Is Part Of: Journal of outdoor recreation and tourism. Volume 39(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-09
• Subjects: Canton lake -- Economic impact -- Regional economics -- Water conflict -- Oklahoma -- USA; Outdoor recreation -- Periodicals; Tourism -- Periodicals; Outdoor recreation; Tourism; Electronic journals; Periodicals; 338.47796505
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jort.2022.100504
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2213-0799

Abstract

Abstract: Public lakes provide a wide variety of ecosystem services. Unfortunately, because of their non-market nature, such non-commodity-specific benefits are often overlooked in policy decisions regarding resource allocation and distribution. As the water rights at the Canton Lake, Oklahoma, USA belong to Oklahoma City, sustaining its value as a popular recreation site requires demonstrating the economic impacts of recreation and related uses to surrounding communities. By employing an input-output model for data collected from visitor surveys, this study estimated an annual visitor spending of $4.19 million, which contributed 50 jobs, $1.22 million in labor income, and $1.78 million in value added in the surrounding communities. Nonlocal visitors accounted for the majority of expenditures. Research results highlight the economic importance of recreation visits to rural communities and also project the anticipated regional impact of change in water level via reduction of benefits.