Socio-Demographic Factors Influencing Water Quality Concerns in the Jordan River, Salt Lake City
Location
Logan Country Club
Start Date
3-28-2017 2:05 PM
End Date
3-28-2017 2:10 PM
Description
Previous research suggests that river governance and management benefits from a more holistic view to include human perceptions for understanding how and why people value different aspects of waterways (Ryan 1998). Salt Lake City, Utah, is undergoing rapid population and economic growth, which has elevated the competing priorities associated with maintaining the city’s Jordan River. To understand how people living near the river perceive it, a tablet-based public-intercept survey was conducted to gather public feedback from traditionally underrepresented groups about the Jordan River Corridor. This analysis looks at respondents’ levels of concern about water quality in the Jordan River. Using socio-demographic indicators, this analysis seeks to understand what factors influence residents’ levels of concern about water quality in the river. Findings include statistically significant differences in respondents’ level of concern for Jordan River water quality based on neighborhood location, race/ethnicity, and place of birth (Utah born or not). Research in a neighboring state shows that minorities are more skeptical of urban water quality because they have been more susceptible to environmental injustices (Gartin et al. 2010, p. 37), and others have shown urban river perceptions are based on proximity to the river (Brody et al. 2005). Both cultural and spatial factors are important in this case. This poster presents results from an in-depth analysis to determine which factors contribute the most to people’s perceptions of water quality in the river to help policy makers allocate resources for competing priorities.
Socio-Demographic Factors Influencing Water Quality Concerns in the Jordan River, Salt Lake City
Logan Country Club
Previous research suggests that river governance and management benefits from a more holistic view to include human perceptions for understanding how and why people value different aspects of waterways (Ryan 1998). Salt Lake City, Utah, is undergoing rapid population and economic growth, which has elevated the competing priorities associated with maintaining the city’s Jordan River. To understand how people living near the river perceive it, a tablet-based public-intercept survey was conducted to gather public feedback from traditionally underrepresented groups about the Jordan River Corridor. This analysis looks at respondents’ levels of concern about water quality in the Jordan River. Using socio-demographic indicators, this analysis seeks to understand what factors influence residents’ levels of concern about water quality in the river. Findings include statistically significant differences in respondents’ level of concern for Jordan River water quality based on neighborhood location, race/ethnicity, and place of birth (Utah born or not). Research in a neighboring state shows that minorities are more skeptical of urban water quality because they have been more susceptible to environmental injustices (Gartin et al. 2010, p. 37), and others have shown urban river perceptions are based on proximity to the river (Brody et al. 2005). Both cultural and spatial factors are important in this case. This poster presents results from an in-depth analysis to determine which factors contribute the most to people’s perceptions of water quality in the river to help policy makers allocate resources for competing priorities.