Understanding the preferences of water users in a context of cyanobacterial blooms in Quebec

Algal blooms, whether they are harmful or more akin to a nuisance, do pose negative impacts on human well-being. In the province of Quebec, excessive phosphorus that contributes to the problem of cyanobacterial blooms comes mainly from non-point sources. Limited regulation on the management of this nutrient leads to its strong accumulation in soils and, combined to climate change effects, contributes to increasing the magnitude of the effects of algal blooms on humans and the environment. The presence of cyanobacteria in water has impacts on its colour, texture and odour, in addition to posing threats to the health of recreationists, as some cyanobacteria are known to release toxins during blooms. This research focuses on studying the impacts of algal bloom events on recreationists and people living close to affected waterbodies. More specifically, we explore the preferences of individuals for different ecosystem services (ES), mainly cultural ES, provided by waterbodies (i.e., recreational activities, aesthetic aspects, and ecological health). We also estimate the average willingness to pay, financed through an increase in municipal taxation, for mechanisms that would allow the resolution of this issue. To achieve these objectives, we use a choice experiment approach, enclosed in a questionnaire that was carried out in person to 252 people. Conditional logit with and without interactions, and a random parameter logit (mixed logit) are alternatively used. Results show that individuals value first their ability to perform recreational activities, followed by the ecological health of waterbodies, and the aesthetic aspects (i.e., odour and visual aspects). Interestingly, the fact that people reported taking part in fishing activities influenced the way they prioritized ES in the choice modelling exercises. Based on the most robust model, we estimate the average willingness to pay at CA$353/household per year to fund a suite of solutions aimed at improving overall water quality.