How TVA Protects the Land
TVA cares for 293,000 acres of land. Most of this land is along the shores of the Tennessee River and lakes.
Land Uses and Planning
TVA has a plan for each reservoir – or lake – that outlines how each piece of property can be used. TVA asks the community what they think about these plans. TVA’s public lands are used for different things:
- Recreation: Places where families can camp, fish, hike or launch boats.
- Wetlands: Places that give animals a place to live and food to eat and have special types of plants growing.
- Development: Places that can be rented or sold for homes, marinas, docks or businesses.
Reclaiming the Land
The word reclaim means “to take back.” For TVA, that means to “take back” land that has been damaged by washing away soil. Here are some examples of how TVA has helped reclaim the land:
Copper Basin
Copper mining began in the 1850s in the area where Tennessee, Georgia and North Carolina meet. The copper would be mixed with rocks. Early miners would heat the rocks in a hot fire, melting the copper so they could get it – this is called smelting. But the process left a large area where trees and plants couldn’t grow. The area was so big it could be seen from space! Years of hard work by TVA and others have reclaimed most of the Copper Basin
Coal Mines
In 1971, TVA started a test project to show how coal mining sites could be returned to almost their original condition. This project helped the federal government make rules about caring for land after it has been mined. TVA has reclaimed more than 1,000 acres of land where coal had been mined.
Other Types of Mining
In 1981, TVA and other groups worked to reclaim forgotten sites in western North Carolina where mica, kaolin and feldspar had been mined. Water from the sites was unsafe for people and animals. TVA modeled new ways of cleaning up the land that helped people around the world reclaim mining sites.
Why it Matters
When TVA began in 1933, the top 12 inches of soil had been washed away by floods, mining or old farming techniques. Helping reclaim the land was very important in TVA’s early days. Without good soil, farmers struggled to grow crops. And the soil clogged the river and made it harder for fish to live.
Protecting the land is still important to TVA. Healthy land:
- Helps plants to grow and supports farms and wildlife
- Keeps water cleaner for animals and people
- Makes the Valley region beautiful and fun for everyone.
How You Can Help
- Join or organize a cleanup event with your local TVA team.
- Practice Leave No Trace when you visit TVA lands.
- Plant trees or native plants in your backyard or community.
- Learn and teach others about caring for land and water.
Habitat Match
Match each animal to the habitat where it lives.
How to play: Drag an animal into its habitat — or tap an animal, then tap a habitat to place it.
Animals
Round complete!
Why this matters: Every animal depends on its habitat for food, water and shelter. Healthy land and water across the Tennessee Valley region keep biodiversity thriving — and protecting watersheds protects all of these animals at once.