American Whitewater has long had an interest in restoring flows to the 13-mile long, biologically diverse Hiwassee River Dries. This section of river is severely dewatered by TVA’s Apalachia Dam’s hydropower diversion tunnel. This beautiful stretch of TVA-managed river stands in stark contrast to other privately dammed rivers in the region that have been restored through the Federal dam relicensing process. The Hiwassee Dries are one of the last great dewatered rivers of the Southern Appalachians that has yet to be restored.
American Whitewater first raised the opportunity to restore flows to the Hiwassee Dries as the downstream recreation representative for TVA’s Reservoir Operations Study. This study acknowledged more flow would benefit the section but flows in the reach were removed from the scope of the study. Undeterred, we conducted an online whitewater flow study, and gathered information on the recreational, hydrological, and ecological attributes of the river in order to create a science-based vision for a restored Hiwassee Dries. In 2019 we initiated discussions with TVA to collaboratively explore opportunities to bring this vision – and the river – to life through working with regional decision-makers and natural resource experts. The focus of this effort was primarily to restore flows that benefit Ruth’s golden aster, a plant protected under the Endangered Species Act that lives only on the Hiwassee and Ocoee rivers.
In 2024 our working group, which included state, USFWS, and TVA scientists launched an innovative study of the river. For the study we documented several different flow release levels with high-powered drones, to quantify the release levels’ effects on inundation of the rare plants growing on the rocks along and in the river. We also rafted the river to see the plants firsthand. This work is being used to create an inundation model that could allow operators to release flows on the Hiwassee that benefit Ruth’s golden aster and paddlers alike. American Whitewater will continue to work on the restoration of this beautiful river.