Date of Award

2024

Publisher

North Dakota State University

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Awarded

Master of Science (MS)

Program

Agribusiness and Applied Economics

Department

Agribusiness and Applied Economics

College

Agriculture, Food Systems and Natural Resources

Faculty Advisor

Hearne, Robert

Description

Reservoirs serve multiple purposes, including recreation, flood control, and hydroelectricity production. In the United States, these reservoirs are typically managed by federal or state agencies. This thesis assesses the effectiveness of federal versus state management in enhancing the recreational use of these reservoirs. The study utilized panel data from 85 reservoirs across the United States, spanning from 2014 to 2021 and including 680 observations. The analysis focused on comparing visitation rates under different management regimes. The central finding of this study is that the type of management agency, whether federal or state, does not significantly affect visitation rates. However, factors related to water, such as adequate rainfall and water levels in the reservoirs, significantly influence visitor attraction. This indicates that while management type may not be a determining factor in recreational use, environmental and hydrological conditions are important considerations for visitor attraction.

Rights

NDSU policy 190.6.2

Rights Link

https://www.ndsu.edu/fileadmin/policy/190.pdf

Author ORCID Identifier

0009-0009-5728-5119

Handle Identifier

https://hdl.handle.net/10365/34027

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