As the brief history of Lebanon taught us, for much of Lebanon’s history, the Mascoma River helped the town make money through manufacturing. Whether it was cooling down machines, or spinning waterwheels to create energy, water could be thought of as liquid money–which factories used to produce real income. Nowadays, the ways in which the river provides value are much more difficult to see, but they are still present. The river is the source of Lebanon’s drinking water, attracts recreational users (who can stimulate the local economy by buying things in town) and also helps Lebanon’s housing prices by making Lebanon a quaint town with a big river instead of just another big box store extravaganza. How will the dam affect all of these different forms of value? As of now, it is unknown, but it is important to evaluate some potential outcomes for each of these different factors. The tabs underneath the “Expected Economic Impact” header will provide predictions for how the proposed dam might impact Lebanon’s economy.