Natural Systems

What is a hummingbird worth? Or the serenity of an unspoiled nature preserve, alive with native species? Both have value, economic and intrinsic, but quantifying that value when making land-use and conservation decisions is a complicated process.

An ecosystem is a community of animals and plants interacting with one another and with their physical environment. Ecosystems include physical and chemical components, such as soils, water, and nutrients that support the organisms living within them. These organisms may range from large animals and plants to microscopic bacteria. People are part of ecosystems. The health and well being of human populations depends upon the services provided by ecosystems and their components - organisms, soil, water, and nutrients.

The creation of Hunter Lake results in the loss of stream corridor habitat along Brush and Horse Creeks. Assuming a 100-foot corridor along the affected streams, this equates to approximately 449 acres of riparian corridors affected and the loss of an intact and diverse ecosystem in approximately 3,000 other acres.