In 2015, the University of Florida completed a study that looked at the economic value of the Lower St. Johns River (Ocklawaha River to the Atlantic Ocean), concluding that the river annually provides billions of dollars in economic impact and ecosystem services that benefit the region’s residents.
St. Johns River wetlands result in in almost $3 billion dollars in savings for flood prevention or $15,000 for each residence within the flood zone, and the wetlands provide an economic value for nutrient removal that exceeds $400 million/year for Nitrogen and $5.3 million /year for Phosphorous.
Riverfront properties in the four counties studied increased in value $944 million due solely to river frontage. Tributary frontage properties increased $117 million over properties that lack frontage, but were otherwise similar in property characteristics. The increased value attributable to the river carried to surrounding neighborhoods as well, with an $837 million value for proximity to the river. The increase in tax revenues for the four counties resulting from adjacency to the River and its tributaries is $136.54 million dollars over twenty years.
The annual recreational benefit provided by the St. Johns River Basin to Florida residents ranges from $89.8 million to $108.9 million.
The The St. Johns River is worth billions, study says, Florida Today