Freshwater Science Teaser: The Value of Lake Erie Beaches
Channel: Ohio Sea Grant
Date: 2022-06-02

Beach visits play an important role in Ohio’s $17 billion Lake Erie tourism industry, but water quality issues like harmful algal blooms and E. coli outbreaks can negatively affect beachgoers and discourage them from returning to a favorite spot. The economic impact of these water quality issues is not well understood yet, but estimates of this reduced economic welfare from 2019 are as high as $5.8 million. 

Dr. Brent Sohngen at The Ohio State University is working on determining the value of Lake Erie beaches to the state’s overall economy, and how that value is affected when water quality issues like harmful algal blooms occur.