Water Quality

The quality of the water in the Tennessee River system affects not only the people who live in the Valley but also business and industry and the entire ecosystem’s plant and animal life. In managing the watershed, TVA uses an integrated method that balances water quality with the other demands on the system.

However, TVA doesn't have the authority to regulate water pollution. The EPA and each of the Valley states that share the river set their own pollution regulations and grant discharge permits. Those controls are mostly focused on business and industrial operations located along the river, not on the activities of the general public. It is every individual’s responsibility to keep trash and other pollutants from getting into the waterway by responsibly managing how they dispose of wastes.

Reservoir ratings

The first step in managing water quality is determining the actual health of the river. TVA rates the condition of each reservoir based on five ecological indicators. View those ratings here.

Fish populations

TVA and state agencies issue sport fishing ratings of the region’s reservoirs, indicating the availability of important sport species. TVA’s annual Spring Sportfish Survey monitors the size and health of bass populations in a number of reservoirs.

Clean water

TVA works with other agencies, communities, and industries to improve water quality. In 1992 it began the Clean Water Initiative, which helps ensure the benefits of clean water for communities and aquatic life.

Clean marinas and clean boating

Boating is one of the most popular recreational uses of TVA reservoirs. TVA’s Tennessee Valley Clean Marina Initiative certifies marinas that are in compliance with pollution-control standards. TVA is also an active participant in the national Clean Boating Campaign, helping educate boating enthusiasts and marina operators in practices that reduce pollution and erosion on the waterways.

Tailwater improvements

Two conditions arising from hydropower production are harmful to fish and other forms of aquatic life: low levels of dissolved oxygen in the area just below a dam (called the tailwater), and dry streambeds that result when hydro generation is shut off.

In 1991, TVA undertook a $44 million tailwater-improvements program to tackle these problems. It committed to providing minimum flows through all its dams, and it devised various aeration methods to increase oxygen in the water. Studies show that the program has improved conditions for aquatic life in more than 300 miles of river and has resulted in a dramatic increase in tailwater fishing, which aids local economies.

Stream discharges

Like all industries that operate on the Tennessee River, TVA must obtain discharge permits under the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System. Most of what TVA puts into the river is heated water from the operation of its coal and nuclear plants. However, storm water, sewage, and substances produced by activities like coal and ash handling and equipment cooling are treated and released within the limits set by a permit.

All of TVA’s power generation facilities hold discharge permits, as do some of its maintenance and power service shops. Each permit is very specific, and discharge limits are set at levels that protect aquatic life and human health.