Watts Bar Reservoir Land Management Plan

TVA has issued a draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) which examines the potential effects of alternative ways of managing its public lands on Watts Bar Reservoir. The amended DEIS incorporates modifications to the three alternatives proposed in the 2005 DEIS and land plan as a result of the implementation of TVA’s November 2006 land policy and public comments received on the 2005 DEIS.

These alternatives include continuing management under the existing 1988 Watts Bar Reservoir Land Management Plan (Alternative A) or adopting a new land management plan with modified action alternatives (Alternatives B and C). All alternatives allocate various tracts of TVA land to specific uses. These allocations are the foundation of a land management plan that will support TVA goals, balance competing demands, respond to the needs of our stakeholders, and meet our responsibilities to protect natural and cultural resources.

Alternative B, Modified Development and Recreation Alternative, would provide suitable industrial use and developed recreation. Alternative C, Modified Conservation and Recreation Alternative, would emphasize natural resource conservation and informal recreation activities. TVA’s preferred alternative is Alternative B.

Addendum

The action alternatives have been slightly revised to include a “maintain and gain” proposal. Under this proposal, a small portion of Parcel 89 would be allocated to Zone 7 (Residential Access) instead of Zone 4 (Natural Resource Conservation) and a small portion of Parcel 256 would be allocated to Zone 4 instead of Zone 7. The total land area involved is 0.5 acres. Please see the Blackberry Cove Proposal for the specifics of this proposal. Please take into account these changes in making your comments on the Draft EIS.

Documents

A summary and the entire amended DEIS and plan can be viewed by section, as noted below (PDF files require Adobe Acrobat Reader). Paper or CD-ROM copies may be requested from the contacts listed below.

Draft Environmental Impact Statement

This is the complete text of the amended environmental impact statement, divided into the following sections for faster downloading:

Summary and Table of Contents (212 kb)
Includes an abstract, a summary of the issues and alternatives considered, the table of contents, and a table of acronyms and abbreviations.

Chapter 1: Background, Purpose, and Need for Action (141 kb)
Background of Watts Bar Reservoir, purpose of the proposed land management plan, other pertinent environmental reviews and documentation, and the goals of the plan.

Chapter 2: Alternatives (122 kb)
Proposed action of the land management plan, a description of the three alternatives, and a comparison of the alternatives.

Chapter 3: Affected Environment (284 kb)
Detailed description of the environmental setting and a discussion of the identified resources, species, and other issues of concern in the area around Watts Bar Reservoir (see the Summary and Table of Contents for a list of all the resources evaluated).

Chapter 4: Environmental Consequences (174 kb)
Discussion of environmental consequences under the three alternatives for each specified resource. Includes a list of proposed mitigation measures.

Chapters 5, 6, and 7: Supporting Information (82 kb)
Lists of preparers; agencies and individuals receiving copies; literature cited; and glossary.

Appendix A (52 kb)
TVA Land Policy

Appendix B (294 kb)
Planned Land Information

Appendix C (291 kb)
Scoping Information.

Appendix D (2,516 kb)
Supporting Data and Information

Appendix E (3,630 kb)
Recreation and Industrial Assessment

Index (34 kb)
Listing of terms and corresponding page number(s) of occurrence.

Related Documents

View maps of the TVA-managed lands on Watts Bar Reservoir.

Watts Bar Land Plan Facts and Definitions (138 kb, PDF)

Read general information on the Land Planning Process.

Watts Bar Land Plan Scoping Document (492 kb, PDF)

Contacts

Please use the online comment form to make a comment, or mail comments to:

Watts Bar Reservoir Land Management Plan
Attn.: Rick Toennisson
TVA NEPA Administration
400 West Summit Hill Dr.
Knoxville, TN 37902
865-632-8517
E-mail: rltoennisson@tva.gov

Printed copies of the entire DEIS and Watts Bar Land Management Plan are available for viewing at most public libraries and courthouses in the Watts Bar Reservoir area. For more information, call 800-TVA-LAND, or e-mail tvainfo@tva.gov (Attn.: Erin Pritchard). In the Subject line, type “Watts Bar DEIS.” Please include your USPS mailing address.