The water, natural resources, and ecosystems in the Christina River Basin contribute an economic value of $900 million to $4.9 billion annually to the Delaware and Pennsylvania economies (Table 1). This report examines that economic value in three different ways:
1. Economic value directly related to Christina Basin water resources and habitat. The Christina Basin contributes $1.6 billion in annual economic activity from water quality, water supply, fish/wildlife, recreation, agriculture, forests, and parks benefits. When accounting for navigation benefits at the Port of Wilmington, the Basin contributes $4.5 billion annually.
2. Value of goods and services provided by Christina Basin ecosystems. Using natural capital as a measure of value, habitat in the Christina Basin provides $900 million annually in ecosystem goods and services in 2010 dollars, with a net present value (NPV) of $29 billion calculated over a 100-year period.
3. Employment related to Christina Basin resources and habitats. Using employment as a measure of value, natural resources within the Christina Basin directly and indirectly supports 125,000 jobs with $4.9 billion in annual wages.
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