Economic Impact

Recreation at Corps lakes is more than fun and games.  It also is an important part of the local economy.  Businesses can see the investment opportunities when thousands of people are drawn every day to an area. Restaurants spring up, along with hotels, resorts, boat marinas, and sporting goods stores. Soon, word spreads through the region of the lake’s pleasures and more people begin to visit.

Nationally, Corps lakes attract 365 million recreation visitors every year, and the economic impact on these areas is enormous. The total economic benefits on local communities (within 30 miles of a lake) include more than 112,000 jobs, almost $3 billion in annual salaries and wages and more than $9.7 billion in total spending.  An additional $1.5 billion in spending are generated outside the 30 mile radius resulting in total spending of over $11 billion and supporting 189,000 jobs nationwide. In addition, visitors to Corps lakes also spend $5 billion a year on recreation equipment which supports 81,000 jobs. That is $16 billion a year in spending by Corps lake visitors and 270,000 jobs to the nation’s economy.

Learn More

• National Fast Facts

Making a Difference for You

revised 31 Dec 2011

Home | search | contact us | about us | site map
Institute for Water Resources | U.S. Army Corps of Engineers