The Arkansas River Conservation Cooperative (ARCC) secured funding from the Arkansas River Outfitters Association (AROA) to conduct three economic impact studies for outfitting and recreation on the Arkansas River. Download the full 2024 report here.
2024-ARCC-Economic-Value-Report2024-ARCC-Economic-Value-Report
This report is the second in a series of three studies commissioned by the Arkansas River Conservation Cooperative (ARCC). The first study, published in early 2022 (available online at paceyecon.com), quantified the economic and fiscal value the Arkansas River commercial outfitter industry provided to their communities in 2020 – totaling $50 million of value to the state of Colorado. It also noted its relative contributions to various county industry sectors, including amusement and outdoor recreation, lodging, and food, among others. The first report included a section describing the background and basic characteristics of the Arkansas River commercial outfitters and reflected on many of the qualitative benefits attributable, in part, to their presence in the community, with the last section of the report noting further research to be addressed in this series of studies.
With the availability of both the 2021 and 2022 data, this second report provides a trend for the past three years and a more thorough analysis of the economic and fiscal contributions driven by the Arkansas River commercial outfitters. Data provided by the Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area (AHRA) allowed for estimates of the economic value associated with private boaters, plus insights into the value provided to outfitters, visitors, and the community when water flow on the Arkansas River is augmented for recreation. This follow-up study continues to utilize IMPLAN, an input-output model that is widely accepted and highly regarded in both the private and public sectors.
