Study: Powerboating has substantial economic impact in Idaho, especially in Kootenai County
Kootenai County is Idaho’s powerboating king, according to a new economic impact study from the Idaho Department of Parks & Recreation and Boise State University, with $89.8 million spent there on powerboating in 2015, more than Ada County’s $60.3 million, No. 3 Bonner County’s $39.2 million or No. 4 Valley County’s $17.8 million. Statewide, powerboat owners spent $335 million that year on boats, equipment, fuel, lodging, food and other retail purchases.
“It’s clear that recreation is big business in Idaho,” said David Langhorst, Idaho Parks & Rec director. “Understanding the economic impacts assists our agency in making the best management decisions possible when it comes to providing and maintaining recreation access in our state.”
The study estimated that the $335 million in spending rippled through the economy and directly accounted for 3,100 jobs statewide.
The study, released this week and completed by six researchers in the Department of Economics at BSU, was based on an extensive survey of the owners of the 92,730 powerboats registered in Idaho. Residents of the state of Washington were the third-largest group of boat owners, the study found, with nearly 10,000 registered powerboats; they were exceeded only by residents of Ada County, with 14,716; and Kootenai County, with 14,454.
The study estimated that powerboat owners in Idaho took 411,559 boat trips in 2015, 352,941 of those day trips, and 56,618 overnight trips. Kootenai County had by far the highest number of day trips, followed by Bonner, Benewah, Ada, Valley and Bonneville counties. Valley County had the most overnight trips, followed by Kootenai and Bonner counties.
According to the study, quantifying economic impacts can help policy makers decide whether public expenditures are worth making. “The economic effects of these programs, in addition to the recreational opportunities provided, are of concern to policy makers,” the study said. The results can help “state and local officials charged with making responsible decisions regarding the use of public funds.”
It also noted, “The total economic impact of the $335 million in spending by powerboat users on employment, income and output is greater than the impact of just the spending by boat owners.” Though the multiplier the study applied to powerboating is lower than other industries, because much of the spending goes to retail purchases – the dairy industry’s economic multiplier, for example, is 2.5 – its 1.47 multiplier means the economic impact of powerboating in Idaho is significant. The full study is online here.
