To provide estimates of the economic impact (direct and indirect) of Toledo Bend anglers (local, non-local state residents and non-local out-of-state residents) on the counties and parishes surrounding the Toledo Bend Reservoir as well as the states of Texas and Louisiana.

To provide a customer profile of anglers fishing at the Toledo Bend Reservoir. This involves collecting data regarding social and economic characteristics, fishing participation and level of involvement in recreational fishing, attitudes, and opinions regarding fisheries management measures that will enable the agencies to develop a marketing perspective of Toledo Bend anglers.

To value the Toledo Bend recreational fishery under various management scenarios using CVM willingness-to-pay techniques.

Local anglers were the youngest of the four groups (local, non-local Louisiana, non-local Texas, and out-of-state) fishing Toledo Bend during the sampling year.  Additionally, they fished significantly more days in freshwater overall as well as at Toledo Bend specifically in the past 12 months than the other three groups.  Local anglers were also most likely to fish alone.  While local anglers’ trips were the shortest compared to the other three groups, the number of days spent fishing on their entire trip was only significantly less than out-of-state anglers.

Non-local anglers from Louisiana and Texas were more likely than local and out-of-state anglers to belong to fishing clubs or organizations.  However, there was no difference between non-local anglers from Louisiana and Texas in this regard.  Also, non-local Texas anglers were more likely than other angler groups to fish with a club.  There were no statistically significant differences between non-local Louisiana and Texas anglers regarding the number of years spent fishing freshwater and Toledo Bend specifically.   The same pattern held for the number of days spent fishing Toledo Bend in the past twelve months.  The non-local groups had been fishing freshwater in general and Toledo Bend specifically the fewest number of years compared to local and out-of-state anglers. 

Out-of-state anglers were the oldest angler group fishing Toledo Bend and had been fishing freshwater the greatest number of years compared to all angler groups.  These anglers were also the least likely of the four groups to participate in freshwater fishing tournaments.  These same anglers were most likely to fish with friends only or with friends and family together, but were the least likely to fish with family alone.  Out-of-state anglers spent the most total days as well as the most days fishing on their Toledo Bend trip.

We separated local and out-of-state anglers into those intercepted on the Louisiana and Texas sides of the reservoir.  This resulted in six angler groups by residence location: local Louisiana, non-local Louisiana, out-of-state Louisiana, local Texas, non-local Texas, and out-of-state Texas.  Out-of-state anglers intercepted in Louisiana ($969) and in Texas ($812) spent more per person per fishing trip than non-locals from these same two states ($204; $197), respectively, in the Toledo Bend region.  Local anglers in Louisiana and Texas spent $44 and $52, respectively, per person per trip in the counties surrounding the Toledo Bend Reservoir.  Non-local anglers intercepted in Louisiana spent an estimated $9,519,000 in the parishes adjacent to the reservoir; this accounted for 74% of the total expenditure made in Louisiana ($12,813,000). Non-local anglers intercepted in Texas spent an estimated $5,825,000 in the adjacent counties; this accounted for 61% of the total expenditure made in Texas ($9,627,000).  Out-of-state anglers spent an estimated $209,000 in the adjacent Louisiana parishes and $631,000 in the adjacent Texas counties surrounding Toledo Bend Reservoir.  These expenditures account for only 2% and 7% of total angler expenditures made in each state, respectively.  New dollars to the Toledo Bend region spent by non-local ($9,519,000) and out-of-state ($209,000) anglers on the Louisiana side totaled $9,728,000.  Please note that expenditures by local anglers are not included here since it was assumed they would spend their money here even if they couldn't go fishing at the Toledo Bend Reservoir.  New dollars to the Toledo Bend region spent by non-local ($5,825,000) and out-of-state ($631,000) anglers totaled $6,456,000 on the Texas side.  New dollars to Texas ($663,000) as a result of fishing at Toledo Bend was more than twice the new dollars to Louisiana ($241,000). 

Using a 1.86 economic multiplier, the $9,728,000 spent by non-local and out-of-state anglers in Louisiana had a total economic impact of $18,094,080 on the local economy on the Louisiana side of the Toledo Bend Reservoir.  Using a 1.85 economic multiplier, the $6,456,000 spent by non-local and out-of-state anglers in Texas resulted in a total economic impact of $11,943,600 on the Texas side of the reservoir.  In each case, the direct impact of angler expenditures had an indirect impact on the Toledo Bend region resulting in a total economic impact.  Therefore, for example, the $9,728,000 spent in Louisiana was equivalent to an expenditure of $18,094,000 after all associated indirect economic activity was considered.

Using the appropriate state level multipliers, the $241,000 spent by out-of-state anglers in Louisiana had a total economic impact of $484,410 on the Louisiana economy (attributable to angler expenditures at the Toledo Bend Reservoir).  The $663,000 spent by out-of-state anglers in Texas resulted in a total economic impact of $1,272,960 on the Texas economy.  In each case, the direct impact of angler expenditures had an indirect impact on the respective state resulting in a total economic impact.  Accordingly, "total economic impact" is just a more inclusive way of looking at expenditures (or direct impacts) and the two figures should not be added together.

While actual expenditures are essential to understanding the local and state level economic impacts of recreational fishing at the Toledo Bend Reservoir, they are insufficient measures of the value of recreational fishing.  Fishing experiences generally have value to anglers above and beyond what they have paid to participate.  Anglers' willingness-to-pay above fishing trip costs is a useful way to estimate the other intangible benefits associated with recreational fishing.  These include psychological benefits such as the experience of the catch, being outdoors, and the social benefits of fishing with family and friends.  These additional benefits can be estimated in dollar terms using the concept of consumer surplus and represent an increase in the social welfare of the local region as well as in the two states due to the opportunity to fish the Toledo Bend Reservoir.  By multiplying the $98 more per trip anglers were willing to spend beyond trip costs by the total number of trips made to the reservoir, we estimated total willingness-to-pay above trip expenditures or consumer's surplus at $15,665,832 for recreational fishing at the Toledo Bend Reservoir.  As fishing quality (as defined by anglers) improves at the reservoir, we would expect to see this value increase in the future and vice versa.

Finally, the total economic value of the Toledo Bend boat fishery can be estimated by combining the total expenditures (or direct economic impact) in Louisiana ($12,813,000) and Texas ($9,627,000) with their respective total consumer's surplus measures in Louisiana ($8,837,632) and Texas ($6,828,000).  The resultant total annual economic value of recreational boat fishing at the Toledo Bend Reservoir is $21,650,632 in Louisiana and $16,455,200 in Texas, or $38,105,832 overall.

While most anglers support the current regulations enforced at Toledo Bend, there were significant differences between angler groups (intercepted on Texas or Louisiana sides of Toledo Bend) on four of the seven current or proposed management regulations.  Louisiana anglers were more likely than Texas anglers to support an 8-fish daily bag limit for black basses in any combination.  Louisiana anglers were more likely than Texas anglers to support a “no length limit” for crappie on the Louisiana side of the reservoir and oppose a 10-inch minimum length for crappie on the Texas side.  Texas anglers were more likely than Louisiana anglers to oppose a “no length limit” for crappie on the Louisiana side, and more likely than Louisiana anglers to support the 10-inch minimum length on the Texas side of Toledo Bend.  Additionally, Texas anglers were more likely than Louisiana anglers to support a standardized length and bag limit regulation for crappie at Toledo Bend.  Likewise, Louisiana and Texas anglers differed on their opinions concerning the prohibition of hoop and wire nets by both commercial fishers and recreational anglers at Toledo Bend.  Texas anglers were more likely than Louisiana anglers to support the prohibition of hoop and wire nets by both commercial fishers and recreational anglers at Toledo Bend Reservoir.

Regarding aquatic vegetation, the majority of anglers intercepted on both sides of the reservoir indicated that the amount of aquatic vegetation was “about right.”  However, anglers on the Texas side of the reservoir were more likely than Louisiana anglers to agree that the amount of aquatic vegetation (including hydrilla) was “too much” at Toledo Bend, while Louisiana anglers were more likely than Texas anglers to agree that the amount of aquatic vegetation (including hydrilla) was “not enough” at Toledo Bend.  Texas anglers were also more likely to report that the amount of vegetation at the reservoir should be “reduced.”   Additionally, anglers intercepted on the Louisiana side of the reservoir were more likely than Texas anglers to agree that the amount of vegetation helped to increase the number of fish at Toledo Bend.