Integrated Assessment of Cost-Effective Water Quality Improvements in the Minnesota River Basin: Combining Stated Preferences and Simulation-Optimization Approaches.

Integrated Assessment of Cost-Effective Water Quality Improvements in the Minnesota River Basin: Combining Stated Preferences and Simulation-Optimization Approaches.

Lang, Zhengxin; Rabotyagov, Sergey; Hansen, Amy T; Dalzell, Brent; Campbell, Todd; Tao, Jingjing
environmental management 2025
8
lang2025integrated

Abstract

Voluntary incentive programs are central to U.S. agricultural policy, aimed at enhancing sustainability by improving environmental outcomes and increasing the supply of non-market ecosystem services. This study integrates econometric insights with biophysical modeling to identify cost-effective strategies for nitrate and sediment reductions at the watershed scale. Survey data from Minnesota River Basin farmers characterizes willingness to accept (WTA) distributions for wetland restoration, cover crops, and nutrient management. A mixed logit model reveals significant heterogeneity in WTA, influenced by income, farm size, political leanings, taxes, water impairments, and non-pecuniary factors like ecosystem service appreciation, conservation experience, and stewardship. Integrated modeling highlights fluvial wetland restoration as a cost-effective and impactful strategy. Up to a 43% nitrogen reduction and 82% sediment reduction may be attained at an annual cost of under $10 million through targeted conservation investments. Scenarios with lower costs ($5 million annually) achieve substantial sediment reductions (82%) but limited nitrogen reductions (22%), demonstrating the utility of multi-objective optimization frameworks to elucidate optimal trade-offs in watershed planning.

Citation

ID: 283173
Ref Key: lang2025integrated
Use this key to autocite in SciMatic or Thesis Manager

References

Blockchain Verification

Account:
NFT Contract Address:
0x95644003c57E6F55A65596E3D9Eac6813e3566dA
Article ID:
283173
Unique Identifier:
10.1007/s00267-025-02179-1
Network:
Scimatic Chain (ID: 481)
Loading...
Blockchain Readiness Checklist
Authors
Abstract
Journal Name
Year
Title
5/5
Creates 1,000,000 NFT tokens for this article
Token Features:
  • ERC-1155 Standard NFT
  • 1 Million Supply per Article
  • Transferable via MetaMask
  • Permanent Blockchain Record
Blockchain QR Code
Scan with Saymatik Web3.0 Wallet

Saymatik Web3.0 Wallet