Table of Contents Management Commitment Environmental Protection and Stewardship Environmental Compliance Pollution Prevention Partnerships and Public Involvement Innovation A Look to the Future	The Valley’s waters show impressive signs of life When TVA joined wildlife workers in slipping 2,000 yearling lake sturgeon into the French Broad River below Douglas Dam last year, the release marked a milestone for aquatic life in the Tennessee River system. The reintroduction of these once-plentiful fish exemplifies TVA’s commitment to nurturing clean, oxygen-rich waterways in which lake sturgeon and other imperiled species can thrive and multiply. Click chart for raw data. 2001 - 2002 focus will be primarily on critically eroding archaeological sites on TVA land. In 2000, as in previous years, TVA gained ground in a number of projects aimed at improving water quality, including its large-scale effort to stabilize shorelines. Rainwater runoff and waves created by boat wakes can erode river banks and reservoir shorelines, threatening aquatic life and damaging recreation areas. Through its six-year-old shoreline-stabilization program, TVA continues to stem erosion with bioengineering techniques like the use of retaining walls and conservation buffers planted with native vegetation that holds the soil along shorelines in place. The agency has strengthened its implementation of the Shoreline Management Policy, which was established in 1999 to provide greater protection for crucial resources while allowing reasonable public access to the water. In 2000 TVA streamlined the permit-application and appeals process and added rules governing such issues as fuel-storage tanks, wastewater-treatment systems, and flood-zone development. Click chart for raw data. The Shoreline Management Policy’s success depends on the active involvement of local landowners. In partnership with residents throughout the Tennessee Valley, TVA stabilized and planted approximately 35.5 kilometers (22 miles) of shoreline last year. Along Blue Creek in Humphries County, Tennessee, for example, TVA’s Kentucky Watershed Team joined local conservation groups to stabilize 175 meters (575 feet) of eroding shoreline. The crews constructed rock jetties, among other methods, to firm up the stream banks and preserve the creek’s flow. Limiting pesticide runoff Besides reducing erosion, TVA works hard to limit pesticide runoff from farms. Illegal pesticide disposal and accidental spills threaten water quality, so the agency is part of a collaborative effort to collect and safely dispose of unused chemicals from agricultural sources before they can seep into the groundwater or the river system. In cooperation with federal and state agencies and industry trade associations, TVA has helped properly dispose of almost 181 metric tons (200 tons) of pesticide waste from Valley farms since 1998. TVA operates its reservoir system to assist its fossil and nuclear plants in complying with temperature-permit requirements. Cooling-water discharges from the agency’s power plants (as well as other industrial facilities) must fall within established temperature ranges to avoid causing ecological problems. Despite warmer-than-normal weather and lower-than-normal flows in many parts of the reservoir system during the summer of 2000, TVA’s discharges complied fully with the water-temperature limits required by environmental and nuclear-safety regulations. Click chart for raw data. Recognition Good stewardship is an ongoing responsibility, and TVA continues to set ambitious goals for the protection of the Valley’s environment. But the agency also takes pride in the fact that others have noticed and applauded its achievements. The National Hydropower Association (NHA), for instance, recognized two TVA facilities—Tennessee’s South Holston and Norris hydropower plants—in its “Outstanding Stewardship of America’s Rivers” report for 2000. South Holston received praise as part of a release-improvement program that used aeration techniques and increased flow levels below TVA dams to restore more than 291 kilometers (180 miles) of aquatic habitat. Aeration equipment now keeps the oxygen content between 4 and 6 milligrams per liter systemwide. The NHA also noted the marked improvement in aquatic life below Norris Dam, thanks to TVA’s success in raising the level of life-sustaining oxygen in the dam’s tailwaters. Click chart for raw data. These are just a few of the steps TVA has taken to improve water quality around the region. They’re the kinds of efforts that help explain why another river resident, the once-imperiled snail darter, is joining the lake sturgeon in a strong comeback.		Stay Connected Find out about the ecological risks posed by unregulated dumping from boats, and learn what TVA is doing to encourage clean-boating practices. Working to Manage Litter and Natural Debris TVA takes steps to reduce litter in the waterways, but prevention is the real key. Planting Rights-of-Way the Right Way Planting native greenery under power lines adds beauty and provides food and cover for wildlife. “TVA has undergone some earthshaking business changes throughout the past decade. The Tennessee Aquarium and the Southeast Aquatic Research Institute have repeatedly found TVA to be a solid conservation partner within the region. TVA routinely manages water releases in the Tennessee River system so that they contribute to, rather than inhibit, the system’s ability to support life.” —George Benz, Director, Southeast Aquatic Research Institute
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