Newsroom Articles

Design for the Public Good

As TVA brought public power to the Valley region, TVA architect Roland Wank put design to work for the people, starting with his visionary plan for Norris Dam.

The Great Replacement

TVA’s Nickajack Dam was built to replace the ever-leaking Hales Bar Dam, which – constructed in 1913 – held the distinction of being the first dam ever built on the main stem of the Tennessee River.

Wartime Dam Creates Angler’s Oasis

Isolated Apalachia Dam made a big contribution to wartime airplane construction. Today, it’s an off-the-beaten-path paradise for trout fishermen looking for big catches and scenic views.

Norris Dam: 'No Flood of Worry'

During WWII, Ernie Pyle described the fighting in simple language. But his fame began before the war, when he set out to explain the American experiment called TVA, being built at Norris Dam.

Saving Chattanooga

Before Chickamauga Dam, Chattanooga – the region's most flood-prone city – suffered from massive economic damage and mosquito-borne health crises because of the untamed river.

Initially designed to strengthen war-time power production at Hiwassee and other downstream dams, Chatuge later came into its own as a power producer, multi-purpose reservoir and picturesque recreation area.

TVA Goes to War

America’s World War II arsenal included a potent secret weapon: TVA, which could provide the massive amount of power needed for the war effort by quickly building new generating assets like Cherokee Dam.

A Water Wonderland

Tucked away amid north Georgia’s Blue Ridge Mountains lies Blue Ridge Dam and the sparkling reservoir it creates on the Toccoa River – an oasis for adventure seekers and leisure lovers alike.

The Miracle in the Wilderness

Spurred by wartime necessity, TVA built Fontana Dam – the tallest dam east of the Rockies – with record speed. The dam no one could reach eventually became the most visited in the TVA system.

Art for the People

Staff artist Robert Birdwell captured TVA’s work on canvas. His work adorns the visitor center at Fort Patrick Henry Dam.

Torpedo Testing at Hiwassee

Hiwassee Dam and the reservoir it created are both known for beautiful scenery, canoeing and rafting. But in the 1940s and ‘50s, Hiwassee also played a key role in serving the nation’s defense.

Watts Bar Getaway

After Watts Bar Dam was complete, an enterprising Michigander bought up the construction workers’ housing and launched a successful resort.

What Democracy Can Do

At the outset of World War II, Congress approved the Douglas Dam Bill to provide power for the war effort. TVA workers toiled day and night, and the dam was finished in just over a year.

The Lost Towns of Pickwick

TVA’s dams transformed the Tennessee Valley region and improved life for many of its residents. For some, though, the unified plan meant sacrificing home and community for the greater good.

A Dam of Firsts

Built in the relative peacetime of the early 1960s, Melton Hill Dam piled up an impressive list of firsts, from navigation to appropriations to recreation.

Running Hot and Cold

Tims Ford Dam supports a thriving trout fishery and the endangered boulder darter.

Odd Dam Out

TVA’s Great Falls Dam began operations in January 1917 as a premier project of the Tennessee Electric Power Company. It was purchased 22 years later by TVA and remains the quirkiest hydro project in the portfolio.

The Little Dam That Could

Ocoee Dam No. 2 flume ensconced on the National Register of Historic Places.

From War Machine to World-Class Whitewater

When Ocoee Dam No. 3 was built to help meet energy needs during wartime, it was thought there would be little recreational interest in the project. Flash forward 50 years, and you get an Olympic whitewater course and a world-class tourist destination.

The Global View

By the time the Tennessee Valley Authority set out to reclaim the environmentally devastated Copper Basin – near Ocoee Dam No. 1 – the area was so barren the scar on the Earth could be seen from outer space.