TVA
Sep 10, 2023, 10:33 PM
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Much of the River Walk is located on land owned by the Tennessee Valley Authority, also known as the TVA. It is through a partnership between local government and the TVA that our beautiful trail exists for you to enjoy.
The TVA was created in 1933 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt as part of his New Deal program to help lift the nation out of the Great Depression.
In the 1940s, during World War II, the United States needed power for essential war industries—to build bombs and airplanes, for example—and the government turned to the TVA to help supply this electricity. At that time, the TVA launched one of the largest hydropower construction programs ever undertaken in the United States. By early 1942, there were 12 hydroelectric projects and a steam plant under construction or in design, and engineering and construction employment reached a peak of 28,000 workers.
The TVA did more than supply power to the war effort. Raw materials such as lumber, iron, phosphorus, petroleum products, and food were produced and transported throughout the TVA's river and reservoir system.
In the 1950s, the combination of cheap, abundant energy and year-round navigation on the rivers and reservoirs led to massive industrial and economic growth in the region.
Today, the TVA continues to fulfill its mission to make life better for the people of the Tennessee Valley by providing safe, clean, reliable, and affordable energy—while also being good stewards of the environment and the region’s rich natural resources.
The TVA was created in 1933 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt as part of his New Deal program to help lift the nation out of the Great Depression.
In the 1940s, during World War II, the United States needed power for essential war industries—to build bombs and airplanes, for example—and the government turned to the TVA to help supply this electricity. At that time, the TVA launched one of the largest hydropower construction programs ever undertaken in the United States. By early 1942, there were 12 hydroelectric projects and a steam plant under construction or in design, and engineering and construction employment reached a peak of 28,000 workers.
The TVA did more than supply power to the war effort. Raw materials such as lumber, iron, phosphorus, petroleum products, and food were produced and transported throughout the TVA's river and reservoir system.
In the 1950s, the combination of cheap, abundant energy and year-round navigation on the rivers and reservoirs led to massive industrial and economic growth in the region.
Today, the TVA continues to fulfill its mission to make life better for the people of the Tennessee Valley by providing safe, clean, reliable, and affordable energy—while also being good stewards of the environment and the region’s rich natural resources.