Arizona economy surges due to water-related outdoor recreation

A new economic impact published by Audubon Southwest shows water-based outdoor recreation generates $11.7 billion in economic output annually in Arizona. More key findings show Arizonans and visitors collectively spent $9.7 billion in Arizona on water-related outdoor recreation. Water-based outdoor recreation supports 72,000+ jobs across Arizona, with those jobs paying annual wages of nearly $4 billion. Recreation along water added more than $6.9 billion to the state’s Gross Domestic Product.

Haley Paul, Sr. Policy Director for Audubon Southwest, joined “Arizona Horizon” to discuss how outdoor recreation in Arizona fuels the economy.

“Everything from picnicking and relaxing by a stream to fishing, boating, hiking, camping, wildlife watching,” Paul said, adding these were part of the “eight different activities we evaluated in our study.”

According to Paul, they collaborated with an economics research firm to evaluate these numbers by conducting a study of Arizona residents. They evaluated how much time and money they Arizonans spend outdoors.

Paul said, “They take that information, then they compare, pair it with the spending profiles, put it into their economic model, and that’s how we get these great results.”

When compared to other industries in Arizona, water-based outdoor recreation ranks higher than both the golf industry and the wine industry.

“With this report, we really wanted to understand the value of the water itself in our rivers, lakes and streams, so we know that water is important to our cities’ agriculture industry,” Paul said. “I think it really gives people a different perspective on how to look at these places, and how, in your own backyard, you really have an economic powerhouse.”

Paul explained how different counties have different activities that are popular, as in Cochise County where wildlife watching is the top activity. Since Coconino County has the Grand Canyon and the forests, camping and hiking are the top activities there.