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Boom Time for Douglas Reservoir
TVA Crews Work to Contain Flood Debris
The orange boom, plump and as big around as a basketball, eased off the boat ramp into Douglas Reservoir.
Tennessee Valley Authority boats – police, Dam Safety and River Services – tugged the boom out from tethers at its end and middle. Boat lights flashed and radios squawked to communicate with CleanHarbors, a company that delivered the coiled boom by 18-wheeler.
By the end of the day, the boom would stretch three quarters of a mile across Douglas Reservoir.
It would help contain a massive, heartbreaking collection of floating debris, pieces of people’s lives destroyed and washed downriver in flood waters stemming from Hurricane Helene.
But the debris wasn’t only tragic – it also posed a danger. With time – or another storm system – it could plow downriver and potentially impact operations at Douglas Dam.
In all, the boom would be a first step toward recovery, beginning the long effort to return the reservoir – and people’s lives – to normal.
“We're all working hand in hand,” Billy Parrish, TVA master marine pilot head foreman and leader of the boom installation, said. The different TVA groups assembled nodded.
“I think it's important to show the community that we're not just letting (the debris) go, that we're mindful,” said Eric Edwards, TVA civil engineer in Dam Safety.
An egret takes flight amid debris on Douglas Reservoir.
Debris Endangers Dams
Rain and runoff from Hurricane Helene caused severe flooding that washed away homes, farms and whole sections of towns.
And those pieces of people’s lives raged downriver.
They flowed into Douglas Reservoir from the Pigeon and French Broad rivers in North Carolina and the Nolichucky River in northeast Tennessee.
TVA teams began work as fast as they could to protect dams from the debris.
Just after the storm, TVA Dam Safety inspectors flew with the aviation team to assess the damage.
They stayed up late into the night planning how to deploy the Douglas Reservoir boom.
And at 6 a.m. the next day, they gathered at the Dandridge Municipal Boat Ramp to get to work.
“The event that we had last weekend is unprecedented,” Edwards said.
He explained how the massive amounts of debris could cause trouble.
“Without being able to release that water at the rate you needed to, you could start raising the reservoir,” Edwards said. “There are all sorts of problems that could be associated with that.”
Even if the gates opened, a huge tree or root ball passing through might get stuck in the opening.
“Then you can't close (the gate) when it comes time to reduce or stop spill operations,” Edwards said. “So those were the two things from a dam safety standpoint that we were trying to avoid.”
Another priority is capturing and being able to safely dispose of environmentally hazardous materials, including propane tanks, refrigerants, fuels and oils.
Finally, the debris-trapping boom would also help the town of Dandridge. It, like some other communities, partly sits below the level of the lake. Its safety depends on working dams and free-flowing outlets from the reservoir.
A field of debris accumulates near the shore at Douglas Reservoir.
Field of Debris
Before the boom arrived, a TVA boat carrying Paul Ivey and Shane Carman, of Coal Combustion Products and Equipment Support Services, and Eric Edwards, an inspector in Dam Safety, motored upriver to scout anchor points on each shore.
They wanted to compare the debris fields they helicoptered over yesterday with their position today.
“There’s not a lot of flow,” Edwards observed, peering into the fog as the boat motored upriver from Dandridge.
After a stretch of clear water, logs began to bob here and there in the murky brown water.
If anything, the wind blowing upriver seemed to have moved the debris away from the dam.
“It’s more spread out today,” Ivey said. Carman piloted the boat skillfully around skinned trees and floating debris.
And then the surface of the river changed, looked so solid that one might be tempted to try to walk across.
Debris as small as sticks and as large as whole-house propane tanks and ripped-off docks stretched all the way to the shore, crammed itself under people’s docks.
Crows congregated on a clump of logs, roots, a chair, propane tank and hose. A heron swooped overhead.
In the distance, after a short break of open water, another debris field stretched from shore to shore.
“It’s coming in from the sloughs,” Edwards said, shaking his head. “The thickness and density of this debris field – it’s gaining material.”
“There are three distinct debris fields now,” Carman said.
He eased the boat forward and waterlogged trees bumped the pontoons as the crew solemnly assessed the scene.
Part of their job – and the path forward – was estimating how much of the debris could clog the dam, how much posed environmental hazards and how much had – or could be – broken up to pass harmlessly through the dam to downriver.
They agreed that although there are still unknowns, the best first step was the boom.
“We've deployed booms before, but for different reasons,” Edwards said.
Then, from back at the dock, a message – the boom had arrived.
Shoreline crews unravel a floating boom as a boat pulls it onto the reservoir.
Boom Time
For such a huge object, the boom sat tidily on pallets and deployed into the water easily, if slowly.
The plastic boom had designated anchor points, Ivey pointed out, and crews would tie and sink metal anchors to each after the boom stretched taut across the water.
In the time it took to drive the first section of boom to another boat ramp on the far shore, the debris had shifted yet again. Now a thick mat, complete with Great blue heron riding a log, smothered the shore and dock.
And already snugged against the boom’s puffy orange curve were these clouds of debris. A whole tree, a half-smashed cooler, a soccer ball and what appeared to be a doghouse followed the boom as it pulled through the water.
“It’s in the best interest of TVA and the community to stop (the debris) where it is,” Edwards said. “The boom buys time.”
Photo Gallery
TVA Dam Safety inspector and civil engineer Eric Edwards points to a cluster of debris at Douglas Reservoir.
A long boom will help contain this thick field of debris at the reservoir.
TVA project manager Paul Ivey sizes up scattered debris at Douglas Reservoir.
TVA police assist in the operation at the reservoir.
A truck and trailer deliver the wrapped boom.
Crews unravel the boom from a boat ramp.
Boat crews haul the boom onto the reservoir.
PHOTO AT TOP OF PAGE: Work crews use boats to pull the boom across Douglas Reservoir.
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Learn how TVA aids in navigation, flood control, recreation and more at the Managing the Tennessee River page.
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Douglas Reservoir boom: FAQs
Q: Is Douglas Reservoir or the river closed?
A: No, but it will be segmented while the boom is in place. Boaters can use the river below the boom (approximately at mile marker 11) or above the boom, although the dam safety team warns that thick debris upriver may damage boats, and the debris fields are constantly shifting.
Q: Is the river safe to swim in?
A: At this time, with the amount of debris, possible sewage and unknown pollutants that washed in, people should err on the safe side and not swim in the water. Wash skin and clothes that contact the river. Please check up-to-date TDEC information about water safety.
Q: Can I just drive my boat over the boom?
A: No. This could tear, break or potentially destroy the boom as a tool and endanger both Douglas Dam and the town of Dandridge, as well as damage your boat.
Q: How long will the boom be in place?
A: TVA and its peers at TDEC and TWRA will have a better idea of a cleanup timeline as more time passes, but they are taking action to remove environmentally hazardous materials and assess other materials for dam safety as fast as possible.