Today Pew and partners released a Delaware based economic valuation assessment conducted by the University of Maryland Environmental Finance Center: “Community-centered Natural Resource Benefits: Mispillion Watershed, Delaware”. This evidence-based research determines the economic value of two Delaware Watersheds – the Mispillion and Cedar Creek – in the millions of dollars annually. The study is a first step in the development of an ecotourism- and nature-based strategy to boost both economic and coastal resilience of Slaughter Beach and Milford while protecting the natural resources that fuel these benefits. Working with a newly formed coalition for this purpose, the Waterways Infrastructure Investment Network (WIIN), a National Fish and Wildlife grant has been secured that will fund the second phase of this effort, a vulnerability valuation and corresponding resource management plan for these watersheds.
You can find the research and a Pew created map on the WIIN website in the section "new from wiin" here and there is also a Pew Analysis and Photo Gallery.