TVA Begins New Releases on 5 Rivers
The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) recently released the FINAL results of the 2+ year long Reservoir Operation Study (ROS). Based on public demand and advocacy from American Whitewater and other groups, TVA began new scheduled recreational releases on June 1st of this year.
American Whitewater began working on the Reservoir Operations Study as a means of affecting positive change on the management of the Upper Ocoee. Based on our in depth involvement, TVA invited AW to represent river recreationists on a steering committee called the ROS Public Review Group. AW staff attended meetings roughly once every two months and provided advice on how the ROS could best serve the public interest. While TVA shockingly refused to study the Upper Ocoee in the ROS, they did look at river recreation elsewhere and utimately adopted recreational enhancements on 5 other river reaches.
TVA has begun scheduled recreational releases at:
Apalachia Dam on the Hiwassee River (Class II)
Norris Dam on the Clinch River (Class I-II).
Ocoee #1 Dam on the Lower Ocoee River (Class I-II)
South Holston Dam on the South Holston River (Class I-II)
Wilbur Dam on the Lower Watauga River (Class I-II)
Details of these releases can be found on pages 22 and 23 of Appendix B of the ROS Final Environmental Impact Statement: (http://www.tva.com/environment/reports/ros_eis/appendix_b.pdf)
In addition to these recreational releases TVA has agreed to maintain its current, recently revised minimum instream flow releases in all reaches, and to introduce a minimum instream flow into the Apalachia Bypass Reach of the Hiawassee River. Other changes include altered reservoir levels across the system.
American Whitewater is proud to have played a role in securing recreational and ecological benefits on these Class I-II rivers, and would like to thank all those who wrote comments in support of TVA providing new recreational benefits downstream of their dams.
More information can be found at http://www.tva.com/feature_rostudy/
Kevin Colburn
302 Donnybrook Dr
Asheville, NC 28806-9518