Dancing with nature

KNOXVILLE — Every season, TVA engages in a delicate balancing act with nature.

Leading this dance is TVA’s River Forecast Center, headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Here, the river management team maintains an equilibrium in the Tennessee River basin by adapting to seasonal challenges and opportunities.

In winter months, when sparse vegetation offers little resistance to runoff, TVA lowers reservoir levels in drawdowns to prevent flooding.

As spring arrives the reservoirs are filled to store water in anticipation of potential drier conditions or droughts, but also to ensure higher water levels by June, the start of the summer recreation season.

“We’re very fortunate that we have a system in place that can support both droughts and above-normal rainfall,” Darrell Guinn, senior manager at TVA’s River Forecast Center, said.

After a prolonged drought last fall and winter, the Valley region has experienced significant rainfall, with up to 3.5 inches concentrated in the central area.

The heavy rain should position all major reservoirs and tributaries to reach target summer pool levels.

While some reservoirs — Norris, Cherokee, Hiwassee and Fontana — may have been lagging behind this spring when compared to most years, they are expected to eventually catch up.

“Norris and Cherokee are routinely difficult to fill in the spring because they are completely dependent on rainfall,” Guinn said. “The recent rainfall has helped these reservoirs catch up and we anticipate all reservoirs making it up to summer pool.” As the reservoirs inch toward summer levels, opportunities for safe water recreation abound.

It’s important to remember that unseen obstructions or potential hazards may reveal themselves at lower reservoir levels.

But the core benefits that attract thousands to TVA reservoirs still remain.

“You can still swim, you can still wakeboard, you can still fish — all those things really haven’t changed,” Clay Guerry, TVA’s recreation strategy specialist, said.

While some reservoirs are still filling up, increased rains caused upper mainstem locations between Fort Loudoun and Chickamauga to temporarily exceed normal summer levels.

In these areas, TVA released water through the dams, remaining cautious of any downstream effects from high flows.

While the increased water flow benefits hydroelectric power generation, it also supports flow in rivers that provide whitewater opportunities, such as the Ocoee and Hiwassee corridors.

Local communities are seeing the results.

On a recent Monday afternoon, visitors at the Chattanooga Riverwalk, below Chickamauga Reservoir, witnessed an impressive surge of water flow through the dams.

Tiny swallows danced above the rushing waters as blue herons strutted along the shoreline, patiently waiting for scraps dropped by local anglers.

The folks at Erwin Marine, a staple of the Chickamauga Reservoir, understand the powerful impact this TVA-managed waterway has on customers and the community.

Marina manager Melanie Maxfield has served here her entire adult life. On early mornings, she can look across the glassy waters and reflect on what a balanced reservoir means for her business.

“We have no control over Mother Nature, but we can put plans in place to ebb and flow, and proceed accordingly,” Maxfield said.

While homes and businesses along the reservoir saw higher water levels at their docks, active spilling on main dams along the Tennessee River ensure reservoir water levels return to normal.

“When people ask me about water levels being high or low, I tell them, ‘It’s just TVA doing what it does best,’” Maxfield said.

Before TVA’s formation in 1933, the Valley region’s most flood-prone city, Chattanooga, would experience regular flooding that caused extensive damage. Since its inception, TVA has operated its system of dams to help prevent flooding in Chattanooga and beyond. This work has averted an estimated $9.7 billion in flood damage throughout the region.

The Tennessee River, once upon a time a source of worry, is now a source of pride. “The river is an incredible jewel in the crown of our area,” Maxfield said. “We live in such a beautiful place with the mountains and the water. It’s no wonder that we are such an outdoor paradise.”

Alongside preventing floods, TVA-managed dams and reservoirs support ecotourism and recreational activities that contribute about $12 billion to the region’s economy each year.

But some of the biggest benefits aren’t always measured in numbers.

TVA-managed reservoirs and the region’s biodiverse river system promote a closeness to nature and a quality of life that’s virtually unparalleled throughout the nation.

“Whether it’s fishing, kayaking or just enjoying the beauty from the shoreline, the reservoirs provide a blank canvas that is open for any experience,” Guerry said. “And that’s pretty special.”