This document summarizes the progress and preliminary results of a research project studying water quality and flows in the Lower Suwannee/Santa Fe River Basin in Florida. The research is using a hydrological model to evaluate conservation measures, surveying agricultural landowners about adoption of practices, surveying recreational users of springs to value water quality improvements, and developing educational outreach programs. Preliminary analysis of the recreational user survey found most participated in swimming and other activities, spent on average $99 on visits, and higher entrance fees would significantly decrease visit frequency.

1. Acknowledgements
We would like to thank USDA-NIFA for funding (award number 2014-51130-22495);
the Florida Department of Environmental Protection for permission to survey
recreational users at Florida springs; Erin Moynihan, Bryan Nguyen, Oren Erhlich,
Qianyan Wu, and Shujin Gao for research assistance; and the Florida Survey Research
Center for administering the recreational user survey.
Ying
Preliminary
Results
Hydrological Model
• Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) hydrological and water quality
model (Neitsch et al. 2011)
• Evaluate water conservation and pollution reducing measures
• Evaluate the effects of adopting less water and/or fertilizer intensive
crops, including conversion to forest
• Consider changes in water flows and nutrients from changes in
precipitation, temperature, and evapotranspiration as predicted for the
region in climate change scenarios
• Status: In progress
Agricultural Landowners, Costs, Programs to Induce
Adoption
• Opportunity cost of reducing water and fertilizer calculated from literature
review
• Survey of agricultural land owners
• Assess current adoption of water conserving and pollution reducing
practices
• Provide pairwise choices of two programs that vary in terms of subsidy
amount, contract length, administering agency, and kind of payment
(initial investment vs. initial investment and maintenance costs)
• Determine which program attribute combinations increase likelihood of
adopting conservation strategies
• Status: Survey drafted, waiting for final recommendations from
hydrological model
Value of Water Quality and Water Flows
• In-person survey of recreational users:
• Determine current uses of springs, frequency of visits, and expenditures
on visits.
• Determine perceptions of water quality changes
• Determine how increases in fees would affect frequency of visits
• Online household survey
• Determine use of water resources
• Determine valuation of improved water quality and water flows
• Status: Recreational user survey administered and data analysis in progress.
Online survey in development
Educational Outreach and Extension
• Water Schools: introduce elected officials, community leaders/planners,
citizens, etc. to the region’s water management issues
• University of Florida biannual Watershed In-Service Trainings: Train
county extension agents regarding water regulations and provide them with
materials for stakeholder engagement
• Status: Water Schools in preparation. In-service programming in
preparation for 2018 training
Methods/Progress
Recreational User Survey
Table 1. Activities Undertaken by Respondents at Spring Site
Table 2. Average Expenditures, Distance Traveled, and Annual
Frequency of Visits to Spring Site among Respondents
Table 3. Effect of Higher Fee to Fund Conservation on Frequency of
Visits (Current Entrance Fees are $6/Vehicle at 3 of the 4 Surveyed
Springs and $5/Vehicle at One of the Surveyed Springs.)
Further analysis is required to determine whether increasing park fees
could result in revenue generated for conservation and to determine
how different kinds of recreational users value improvements in water
quality.
Overview
Kelly Grogan, Xiang Bi, Tatiana Borisova, Alan Hodges, and Christopher Martinez
Lower Suwannee/Santa Fe River Basin, Florida
• Rich environmental resources
• Springs, swamps, estuaries, rivers, streams
• National Wildlife Refuges, State Parks and Preserves
• Economically important agricultural production
• 22% of land area in region
• Pasture, peanuts, sorghum, vegetables, corn (grain)
• Water quality target for region’s springs: 0.35 mg/L nitrate-nitrogen
(monthly average)
• Minimum Flows and Levels under development
• Current plan to achieve quantity and quality goals: Basin
Management Action Plans and adoption of Best Management
Practices
Objectives
1. Develop hydrological model to determine practices/land uses
required to meet water quantity/quality targets
2. Determine attributes of cost-share programs that would induce
adoption of necessary practices and land uses by agricultural
land owners
3. Determine the value of water quality and flow improvements to
a) recreational users of water resources and b) Florida
households in general
4. Evaluate policy options to reach quantity and quality targets
5. Communicate results to policymakers and stakeholders
Figure 1. Land Uses in the Lower Suwannee/Santa Fe River
Basin.
Activity % Participating in Activity
Swimming 72.1%
Tubing 30.0%
Picnicking 26.7%
Nature Viewing 9.3%
Hiking 8.5%
Kayaking 6.3%
Other 8.7%
Variable # of Obs. Mean Std. Dev. Min. Max
Trip
Expenditure
439 98.8 140.5 0 1470
Distance
Driven (Miles)
479 134.9 226.1 5 2229
Visits in Past
Year
307 7.3 16.5 0 100
New Fee
Effect on Visit Frequency
Decrease No Change Increase
$10 43.7% 55.2% 1.1%
$15 57.6% 39.8% 2.5%
$20 76.7% 22.5% 0.8%
$25 77.6% 21.6% 0.8%