Public Preferences for Managing the Upper Mississippi River System

Abstract

The human dimension is an important, yet often overlooked, aspect of river ecosystem analyses. To provide decision makers with information to maintain the Upper Mississippi River System (UMRS) as a viable large river system, a survey of the general public was designed and conducted in 1996 to assay river resource values and expectations. Members of 500 randomly selected households in each of the five UMRS states completed the survey (total of 2,500). Factor analysis, reliability analysis, and analysis of variance techniques were employed in the data analysis. Results show that citizens value the river strongly for multiple purposes and expect balanced use in its management. An important point is that although there is not a consensus regarding future management of the UMRS, levels of support do not vary substantially across regions. Differences in preferences between the general population and more active stakeholders suggest that strategies for engaging the public be reconsidered.