The Tennessee Valley Authorityhas decided to use water in its rivers for power generation rather than otherbeneficial uses, contrary to the result of analyses of all economic data andthe interest of the public.
Key Points
1. The Upper Ocoee River is at risk of running dry.
Basedon Management decisions made by theTennessee Valley Authority, the Upper OcoeeRiver may not flow in the future. The Upper Ocoee is the site of the 1996 Olympics, World Cup Slalom and AmericanWhitewater Ocoee Rodeo freestyle events.
– Asidefrom two days of releases that are ‘left over’ from the cancelled 2001 WorldChampionships due to 9/11/01, there will be no more releases scheduled for non-commercialrecreation and events as there have been for the past six years.
– The‘per customer’ fee charged to commercial outfitters will make it unaffordablefor them to run rafting trips on the Upper Ocoee.
2. Economicssupport an Upper Ocoee with its water flowing.
TVA is chokingoff an important segment of the local economy – river-based tourism – by itsrefusal to share Ocoee river water. The economic impact of water used for whitewaterrecreation on the Ocoee outweighs the value of water used for power productionby over 30 to 1.
§ Commercial rafting on the Upper Ocoee currentlyproduces $210,000 per day. The cost toreplace this power is only $6,650 for the equivalent 9-hour period.
§ Whitewater releases provide over 30 timesmore benefit for the local economy than does power generation.
§ Lost power cost per day
9.5 hr. release x 28,000 kw (Ocoee #3power) x $0.025 KW/hr = $6,650 per whitewater release
Cost to TVA ratepayer:
$6,650 WW release / 8,000,000 ratepayers = $0.0008per WW release
Annual cost to TVA ratepayer assuming 20 days ofreleases:
20 days x $0.0008 = $0.02 cents annually
[Calculations derived fromUSFS 1996 DEIS for the Upper Ocoee River Corridor Recreational Development
4. TVA absorbs the costs of providing recreationbenefits to lake users, but insists that river users must pay for similarbenefits. TVAmaintains lake levels to enhance recreation at tributary reservoirsuntil August 1st at no charge to lake users.
· TVA estimated the cost of the lake improvement programto average $2 million annually in lost power revenues in 1990. (Tennessee Riverand Reservoir System Operation and Planning Review, 1990.)
5. The publicsupports an Upper Ocoee with its water flowing.
Membersof the public want TVA to increase recreational opportunities. 34% of those who attended public meetingsduring the Spring of 2002 felt that recreation should be TVA’s top priority,while only 1% felt that it was a priority for TVA. Many of these respondents directly mentioned the Upper Ocoee as aconcern. Conversely, 11% of attendeesthought that TVA’s top priority should be power generation, while 48% felt thatit was their current priority.
6. TVA hasignored the interests of the public.
TVAhas made Management decisions that ignore the input of the SoutheasternTennessee economic community and the interest of the public. The only water releases that areplanned for the Upper Ocoee in 2003 are the two days allocated in 2001 for theWorld Slalom Championships. Thereafter, TVA plans to release no more water forthe use of private citizens. Separately, TVA plans to raisethe levy for outfitter customers to $12.50, a level that cannot be regainedsustainably by these businesses. Sincethey also have to meet minimum usage levels each year, this levy is certain todrive outfitters off the river and leave the river dry.
6. American Whitewater is askingcitizens to help keep water flowing in the Upper Ocoee.
Askthe TVA Board of Directors to take responsibility for the regional economicdata and voice of public opinion. We want TVA toprovide water releases for public, non-commercial use and to establish a faireconomic model with commercial outfitters on the Upper Ocoee that will besustainable for the long term. We askthat citizens write to the Tennessee Valley Authority Board of Directors andask them to maintain the Olympic legacy and the public trust of the citizens ofTennessee and the Southeastern US to free the water that belongs to the UpperOcoee.