Regional Resource Stewardship Council
Questions Related to TVA’s Involvement in Recreation

TVA’s involvement in providing recreation opportunities to the public has evolved over the past seven decades. Early efforts were aimed at encouraging public use of reservoirs and adjoining TVA lands, and TVA transferred significant amounts of land to states to support the development of the state park systems.

TVA manages 293,000 acres of public land, 11,000 miles of shoreline, and 650,000 surface acres of water in its 45 reservoirs. TVA has approximately 100 recreation areas for public use which include campgrounds, trails, boat ramps, fishing piers, picnic pavilions, and swimming areas. TVA manages these facilities through a variety of arrangements including public/private partnerships and leases.

However, today TVA is only a small part of the recreation landscape. In response to changing and increasing demands and expectations, a wide range of public and private entities now provide outdoor recreation opportunities in the Valley. These include federal, state, and county parks and forests and private-sector operators of campgrounds, marinas, and other facilities.

In light of current and projected recreation trends and the growing number of recreation providers in the Valley, TVA is seeking the Council’s advice on what role it should play in providing recreation opportunities. The RRSC will be asked to provide advice concerning the following issues.

1. What are the most important national and regional trends TVA’s recreation planning should take into consideration?
2. What should be the most critical elements of TVA’s recreation strategy?
3. What should TVA’s recreation program look like in five years:

a. What activities should receive more emphasis?
b. What activities should receive less emphasis?