Beneficios económicos de los flujos de agua en el delta del Río Colorado: consideraciones y recomendaciones iniciales

An evaluation of the economic benefits of main - taining instream flows in the Colorado River delta, using the methods of Total Economic Value and Contingent Valuation is presented. A total of 614 surveys to water users, fishermen and tourists in the region were applied. The estimated amount of the benefits of instream flows in the Colorado River delta is of 38 million pesos per year, although this is a conservative amount. Through a cost-benefit analysis, it was calculated that 2.28 pesos would be generated by each peso invested in securing an instream flow in the Colorado River. This shows that if the benefits generated by instream flows were a private enterprise it would be a profitable investment to maintain water in the river and charge for this. Being these benefits a pu - blic good, it is the obligation of the government to create the conditions to guarantee that these benefits are provided.