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Biodiversity

We live, work and play in a special place. The TVA service area is home to a vast array of plant and animal species, some of which occur nowhere else in the world.

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Biodiversity provides essential benefits and services to people, including a stable food supply, clean water, new medicines and recreational opportunities.

Protecting plant and animal species for future generations is integral to continued sustainable development of the Tennessee Valley.

TVA's holistic approach to integrated resource management, combined with our large service area, positions TVA as a regional leader in biodiversity conservation.

Watch this video to learn how our Biodiversity Policy is helping to drive conservation efforts both in natural areas and operational areas like dam reservations, generation sites and transmission line easements.

View the TVA Biodiversity Policy.

Gray treefrog

Biodiversity News

Two male speckled darters from Sipsey Fork in Winston County, Alabama

TVA Helps Build Photo Ark

National Geographic aims to document 20,000 species worldwide—and the Valley region is fertile ground for exploration.

A young girl smiles as she peers through a magnifying glass

Eager Learners Venture Into Nature

TVA and Discover Life in America co-host the annual BioBlitz, where visitors young and old learn about the magic of plant and animal life.

Purple Coneflower

Celebrating Winged Superheroes

TVA Natural Resources joins UT Gardens in generating a buzz about pollinator insects during National Pollinator Week.

Adding recycled Christmas tree to reef ball

Fish are Friends

Those who enjoy fishing at Douglas Lake will soon have even better fishing stories to tell thanks to efforts to refresh and improve the underwater habitat.

Bee on Black Eyed Susan Native Plant

Aiding Our Pollinator Friends

Look for a "Pollinator Habitat" sign next time you visit a TVA park of right-of-way. Pollinator areas provide a home for a variety of vital native species including bees, moths, beetles and butterflies.

Pollinators

butterfly on a flower in a transmission right of way

Pollinators like bees and butterflies are critical to the health of our ecosystems and essential to producing many of the foods we love. Pollinators are responsible for as much as one third of food we consume! Unfortunately, populations of pollinating insects are declining and some formerly common species are now at risk of extinction. There are many reasons for pollinator decline, but habitat loss is one important factor.

TVA is playing a key role in slowing or even reversing this decline by encouraging native wildflowers and grasses on transmission line rights of way and other lands.

How TVA supports pollinators

Video Gallery

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Snail Darter
A once endangered species makes a mighty comeback

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Freshwater Mussels
See endangered mussels "fish" with their own lure

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Wooded Ecosystems
A long history of protecting and improving forests

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Osprey
Helping birds of prey coexist with electrical equipment

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Creature Feature
NatGeo captures river rarities for its Photo Ark

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Pollinators
How power companies help conserve pollinator habitats

Projects in Pictures

Click on an image to walk through a visual summary of the project.

Ruth's Golden Aster

The only place in the world this endangered plant exists is below the TVA dams on the Hiwassee and Ocoee Rivers. See how TVA is working with academic and agency partners to protect it.

Spotlights

People Spotlight

Adam Dattilo

Adam Dattilo
As TVA's botanist and biodiversity program manager, Adam is a champion for threatened and endangered plant species in the Valley. He has also pioneered efforts to grow pollinators in TVA’s power line corridors. “Given the extent of our operations and the amount of land we manage, we’re in a position to play a leadership role in conserving resources that might otherwise die out.” Learn more about Adam.

Species Spotlight

Osprey
If you spend time on the water, you may have seen one of these powerful birds of prey. Since osprey like to build nests on power poles, TVA and its partners are helping the birds better coexist with electrical equipment. Find out how we research their behavior, provide alternative roosting sites and even relocate nests. Here's where you can spot osprey.

Partner Spotlight

Conservation Fisheries, Inc.

Conservation Fisheries, Inc.
In rows of aquariums on the edge of Knoxville, this non-profit hatchery works to conserve some of the most imperiled fishes in the southeast. Over the last few decades, CFI has propagated more than 75 non-game fish. TVA partners with CFI to help restore fish populations, and donated a backup generator to ensure that the fish survive even if the power goes out.