ABSTRACT
A total of thirty variables representing socioeconomic attributes of respondents were tested for significance in explaining willingness to pay for the recreation-associated value of improved water quality. A discussion of the significant socioeconomic variables is presented in this section, along with tables showing simple cross tabulations of water quality values with the more important socioeconomic variables including: household income, sex, employment, permanence of residence, previous residence, reasons for moving, number of children, age, and recreation activities. The regression analysis showed a significant relationship between household income and option value of water quality, as measured by willingness to pay additional sales tax. The type of work people do has a significant effect on the value of improved water quality for recreation use. The average values suggest that residents who immigrated to the river basin for environmental reasons may value water quality more highly than those who came for other reasons.
