There are over 6,000 businesses operating in the Monroe County Metropolitan Statistical Area which contribute to an economy that generates just short of $6.4 billion in Gross Domestic Product.

The value of Lake Monroe to the local and regional economy is inestimable because without a reliable source of drinking water there is no economy. Other than Lake Monroe there is no alternative water source for the businesses and residents of the community.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has estimated the value of Lake Monroe as a water supply storage basin. Storing a volume equivalent to 130 million gallons per day, 365 days a year at a cost of $3,217 per million gallons, the annual water supply storage benefit is valued as $150 million annually. 

In addition to the value of water supply storage, Lake Monroe positively affects property values, particularly in Monroe County. The 2019 net assessed property value of Monroe County is $7.1 billion – all of which would be at risk without a water source.