Water-based recreation gives nearly $12 billion boost to Arizona economy, new report says

A new report from the Audubon Society found that water-based recreation drives $11.7 billion of economic output in Arizona. The environmental group says the findings highlight the importance of keeping water in the state’s rivers, streams and reservoirs amid water shortages.

“We just wanted to bring attention to the importance of these places,” said Haley Paul, an Arizona-based policy expert with Audubon. “We know that, culturally, spiritually and in general, these are important places for us as people in Arizona, as well as our tourists that come and visit. But we thought, ‘What if we put some numbers behind it?’”

The report took a wide-reaching tally of recreational activities that people do along the water in Arizona — fishing, hiking, biking, boating, birding and more — and calculated the amount of money those activities contribute to the economy.

It found a $6.9 billion boost to the state’s Gross Domestic Product and support for more than 72,000 jobs. The total amount of money generated by water-based outdoor recreation, the report writes, is more than the money generated by Arizona’s golf industry or wine industry.

“We're making the economic case that these places are worth protecting,” Paul said. “You’re not going to fish in a dry lake or kayak on a dry river bed.”

Izabella Hernandez/Cronkite News

The report comes at a time when Arizona is staring down difficult decisions about its water future. The Colorado River basin is in the grips of a megadrought that stretches back more than two decades. That means potential cuts to supplies for cities and farmers, but also less water in the streams that flow with winter snowmelt and the reservoirs that hold that runoff.

Lake Powell, which is created by the Glen Canyon Dam near Page, is at the heart of negotiations about the future of the shrinking Colorado River. Major drops in water levels there have complicated a tourism industry that brings a nine-figure financial boost to local economies.

Elsewhere, smaller lakes and streams tend to dry up more quickly with the climate trending towards less precipitation and higher temperatures.

Maricopa and Pima counties, home to more than three quarters of Arizona’s population, were the main drivers of economic activity from water recreation. Coconino County, which is home to the Grand Canyon, was the only other county to add more than $1 billion to the state total.

The report cited “picnicking/relaxing” as the most popular water-based outdoor recreation activity among Arizona residents, followed by water sports and fishing.