Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID 2004DE47B

An Evaluation of the Economic, Social, Environmental, and Recreational Benefits of the Christina Basin

Institute: Delaware
Year Established: 2004 Start Date: 2004-06-01 End Date: 2005-02-28
Total Federal Funds: $1,750 Total Non-Federal Funds: $3,500

Principal Investigators: Steven Hastings, Gerald Kauffman

Project Summary: The Christina Watershed's 565 square miles are home to 540,000 people and provide 100 million gallons of drinking water a year for 3 states. The Christina is also is home to numerous endangered species and produces millions of dollars a year in recreational benefits. In spite of this, 50% of the Christina's stream miles are considered "impaired" by the states of PA and DE. Thanks to expenditures of over $15 million since 1995, the Christina is the cleanest it has been in 100 years, but much more needs to be done. The increasing amount of development in the Christina makes it particularly vulnerable to continued contamination. Dozens of different policies and procedures have been recommended by numerous public and private groups on how to most effectively restore and protect the Christina; however, the vast quantity of differing opinions has hindered the conservation process. Current policies need to be analyzed for cohesiveness and comprehensiveness before more progress can be made toward improving the Christina. The primary objective of this project is to evaluate the cohesiveness and comprehensiveness of conservation programs and policies in the Christina Watershed. This will involve analyzing current and proposed policies by using an economic, equity and goal based analysis. This analysis will assist in implementing proper strategies for further improvement in the watershed.