Untitled - Haliburton County Community Cooperative Inc

6.0: Summary TablesTable 1: Issues facing the ecological services of the region and the associated monetary value of an intact systemIssueAcid RainIncreasedaquaticboundmercury fromDams andfluctuatingwater levelsImpact on EcologicalServicesLower pH resulting in a lowerabundance of available fishor worst case scenarios;lakes devoid of fishBioaccumulation of mercuryin fish species resulting inmercury warnings andpotential loss of anglersseeking consumable fish.Affects a $13.79 milliondollar component of therecreational fishing industryfor the area.Associated monetary ValueLake by lake basis, but adead lake is worth $0 torecreational fishing.Impaired lakes of pH 5.0-6.5have the potential toexperience $924,540 inlosses (maximum figureswhen applied to the entiretyof zone 15, the losses wouldtherefore in reality be muchlower as it would be on alake by lake basis)No exact figures but at avalue of $11.58 perharvested fish, potentialeconomic loss on a lake bylake basis could be obtainedby multiplying this amountby creel surveys for affectedspeciesMonetary value of theIntact EcologicalServiceIt can therefore bestated that lakes withhealthy pH levels couldbe worth anapproximate value of$924,540, and this hasthe potential toincrease with adecrease in acid rainand acidified lakeswithin the region. Asdead lakes are worth $0to the recreationalfishing industry it canfurther be stated thatthe current pH of lakessupporting angled fishcommunities would beworth the maximumvalue of $81.1 million.Current value isunknown and an exactvalue may beimpossible to obtain. Itcan be assumed that atcurrent consumptionlevels of fish, thecurrent health ofwatercourse is $13.79million, a figure thathas potential to rise ifmercury decreases insome lakes promptingthe removal ofadvisories and allowingfor more anglers toconsume harvested fish38