UTILIZING GROUNDWATER MODELS AND CONTINGENT VALUATION SURVEYS TO INFORM WATERSHED INVESTMENT PROGRAMS

New management programs are being developed to direct water user funds to support watershed protection, through what are now referred to as “watershed investment programs”. These types of programs derive from the concepts developed in payments for ecosystems services theory. Exclusion of fire from fire-adapted pine forests of the Southwestern U.S. has led to overdense tree stands and the threat of catastrophic wildfire with associated flooding. The tree density has increased sublimation and evapotranspiration and has reduced recharge to the underlying aquifers. Contingent valuation surveys were conducted with two different regional water user groups to determine willingness to pay for watershed services. The surveys included educational information about hydrology and forest health and questions about the role that forest health played in aquifer function. Historical vegetation manipulation studies and recent eddy covariance studies in these forests indicate a significant increase in surface-water yield and groundwater recharge from tree stand reduction and a return of a more frequent, low-intensity, fire interval. A regional groundwater model was used to simulate changes in aquifer conditions from forest treatments. As a result, one municipality has placed on their fall election a bond issue to help support forest treatments and subsequent improvements in aquifer functionality.