Ocoee River (TN) Needs Your Help

The current agreement for water in the Ocoee River with Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) expires in 2018. A new agreement is needed. For the next agreement, TVA is asking for $9 million from outfitters to recover the lost costs of hydro generation for the first 5 years of releases. These fees represent an eye-popping 800% increase for the Middle Ocoee and a 180% increase for the Upper Ocoee. If the outfitters are unable to pay, then private boaters will lose access to the Ocoee River as well.

 

TVA is exempt from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s requirement for no-fee releases. It is important to realize that TVA is the only utility in the country collecting fees for water releases. Additionally, TVA does not have to provide for whitewater recreation. TVA has a unique structure as a quasi federal agency, and as such, an act of Congress mandating releases can make a difference.

 

American Whitewater is a partner in the Ocoee River Council and we are proposing legislation that would reclassify Ocoee No. 2/ 3 projects to include whitewater recreation (in addition to hydro generation). Such legislation could mean no fees for releases, and whitewater recreation on the unique and beautiful Ocoee River would be protected.

 

You can help! Write Congress now and ask them to make whitewater recreation a legitimate purpose of TVA's opperations on the Ocoee River. Use this letter writing tool to send an email to your representative.