The economic benefit of water quality improvements depends on where those improvements occur. But which water quality changes do New England residents value the most, and where would they prefer these changes to occur across large river and stream networks? Robert J. Johnston, director of the George Perkins Marsh Institute and professor of economics, and a team of researchers developed a novel method for determining this information. Within the study, Johnston and his team developed a unique online survey interface that enabled people to actively explore future scenarios of water quality change using interactive maps. These maps showed alternative scenarios for improving future water quality, for instance, to support aquatic life or human uses like swimming and fishing in different areas across New England. Survey participants across the region were then asked whether they would vote for or against these scenarios in a hypothetically binding public referendum, at a given annual cost to their household.