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River and Aquatic Life

Trash bag

Keeping It Clean

Students and volunteers board boats to help keep TVA’s Fontana Reservoir clean.

Holding fish

Agents of Change

TVA-sponsored workshops help conservation partners link actions on land to water health in northern Alabama’s Paint Rock River.

Holding mussel

A Really Good Day

Elk River restoration reveals thriving rare mussel populations.

Releasing sturgeon

Catching Up With Cupcake

Wild sturgeon offers a behind-the-scenes look at life in the Tennessee River.

Debris on water

Boom Time for Douglas Reservoir

TVA deploys boom to help keep dams and people safe from flood debris.

Musk turtle

A Focus on Conservation

National Geographic’s Joel Sartore promotes conservation with help from TVA and partners.

Boulder darter

Restoration Rocks

Long, strong partnerships bring habitat and endangered boulder darters back from the brink.

Angler casting on river

The Rhythm of the River

Looking for world-class fly fishing? Head to your home river to catch trout in TVA tailwaters.

Holding fish over net in water

Sicklefin Redhorse Swims Toward Success

A feathered fish? Scientists search for the rare sicklefin redhorse, a fish vital to the region’s rivers and Cherokee culture.

Standing in water with siene net.

Everything Under the Sun

At a North Alabama site, rare fish, native grasslands and solar energy flourish together.

Building fish habitat structures

Sunken Treasure

What’s rough, spiky and sunk under TVA reservoir waters? Engineered fish habitats, made possible by TVA and Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.

Aerial view of Hibbs Island

The Water, the Weir and the Island

Five-year rebuild of Hibbs Island improves weir function, bolstering biodiversity in Clinch River.

Kayaks on river

Back From the Brink

TVA and its partners work to protect rare species and their habitats in a biodiversity hotspot.

Painted Bluff in Alabama

People Saving Places

National Historic Preservation Month spotlights TVA’s archaeologists, historians and cultural resources specialists.

TVA biologist snorkeling in river

Dive Into Snorkel Trails

Snorkelers can discover underwater wonders at a series of aquatic trails.

Bringing in a sample

Getting to the Bottom

How healthy are TVA’s reservoirs? Scientists sample life on the bottoms to find out.

Mariam Ali and Ian Doud

Creating Conservationists

How do you nurture the next generation of conservationists? TVA-funded ZooCrew program excites teens with real-world science.

Aaron Coons holding sturgeon

For the Love of Sturgeon

Passion drives TVA employees and their partners as they monitor this rare fish in reservoirs and rivers.

TVA specialist holding up a bag of mussels

Mystery of the Mussels

Biologists partner to bring rare animals back from the brink of extinction.

TVA specialists paddle kayaks

The Race at Cutoff Reach

TVA scientists embark on expeditions to protect globally imperiled plants and animals.