Navigation on the Tennessee River

Putting the waterway to work for the people of the Valley

Navigation on the Tennessee River—made possible by TVA’s system of dams and locks—has a significant impact on the Valley economy. Shipping goods by barge rather than by truck or rail reduces transportation costs by $400 million each year. This reduced cost means lower prices for consumers. Because one barge can transport as much tonnage as 60 semi-trucks, water transportation reduces highway traffic, fuel consumption, air pollution, wear and tear on highways, and the number of tires sent to landfills.

Link to the pages below to find out more about this essential element of the region’s transportation system, and how it affects the lives of people in the Valley and across the nation.

History
Until TVA went to work in 1933, navigation on the Tennessee River was severely hampered by shoals, rapids, and the periodic effects of droughts and flooding. TVA engineers created an open river road from Paducah to Knoxville, and the region’s economy continues to benefit today.

How the system works
From its beginning just above Knoxville, the Tennessee drops a total of 513 feet in elevation before it empties into the Ohio River. The TVA system of nine main-river dams allows boats to “climb” up and down a “staircase” of quiet, pooled water and controlled current—a continuous series of reservoirs that stretches the entire length of the Tennessee River.

What’s shipped on the river
Inexpensive transportation of goods on the Tennessee River is an essential factor behind the existence of entire east Tennessee industries, including the distribution of lime, salt, asphalt, and other commodities. The ability to move raw materials affordably on the river means regular paychecks for thousands of Valley residents.

Ports and terminals
A chain of river ports links centers of industrial activity along the Tennessee River. In many cases the river itself was the catalyst for industrial growth at these points.

Economic significance
The end result is a reliable transportation complex that is inexpensive and efficient to use. Efficient river transportation of foodstuffs for processing in the Tennessee Valley lowers the price of groceries for consumers nationwide, not just in the Southeast. The effects of money saved transporting goods here ripples across the entire economy. That’s why the TVA river system is a national as well as regional asset.

Recreational boating
The locks of the Tennessee waterway provide passage for more than 20,000 recreational craft each year. The development of the river has spawned a tremendous boom in recreational boating. Boat manufacturing, marinas, and retail dealerships pump some $25 million into the Valley’s economy each year.

The route of the river

The Tennessee River’s main navigable channel is 652 miles long. It officially begins a mile above Knoxville, Tennessee, and eventually empties into the Ohio River at Paducah, Kentucky. Commercial navigation also extends into three major tributaries: 61 miles up the Clinch River, 29 miles up the Little Tennessee River, and 21 miles up the Hiwassee River. Another 150 miles of channel—too shallow for commercial traffic—is marked for recreational use.

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