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This section
explores some of the different recreational activities dependent
on water and their economic impact.
Recreational
Uses
 Some
of the most enjoyable uses of water are recreational, but boating
is not so great when trash turns the lake into an obstacle course.
And who wants to waterski on a slick, slimy river? Even more importantly,
your health is at stake if you swim in water full of bacteria, or
you eat fish caught in polluted waters. For many types of water-based
recreation, clean water is more than desirable, it’s absolutely
essential.
Clean
Water Equals Money
 The
health and appearance of water are both factors in the economics
of recreational water. The recreation and tourism industry is the
second largest employer in the nation. A big chunk of recreational
spending comes from water-related activities. Check out these statistics:
each year, Americans take more than 1.8 billion trips to water destinations
(largely for recreation), spending money and creating jobs in the
process. Just one example—American anglers spend roughly $24
billion annually on their sport, which in turn generates $69 billion
for the nation's economy. But if poor water quality affects the
fishing, the flow of money dries up.
Source
Clean Water Action Plan. "Clean Water Successes and Challenges." Online. http://cleanwater.gov/action/c1a.html March 2002.
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PBS
NewsHour Online Links
A group in Nevada
and California looks to slow development to stem the
environmental problems taking hold in Lake Tahoe. Can their
plan work? Spencer Michels reports.
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