Month: May 2023

• Tellico Lake, once known as Timberland, boasts storied shores:
  • Setting the Stage
  • Acquiring the Land
  • The Snail Darter Controversy

---

Tellico Lake mirrors the tranquil beauty of its neighboring communities. Yet, behind its serene facade, Tellico Lake has a fascinating history of controversy, encompassing local dynamics, government actions, environmental concerns, and intricate infrastructure developments.

Setting the Stage

In the 1950s, local officials started planning to implement a dam along the Little Tennesee River near Lenoir City. The Fort Loudoun Dam was finished just a few years prior and had achieved noteworthy success. The original name for the project was “Timberlake,” but we know it today as Tellico Lake.

With the success of the Fort Loudoun Dam, many saw the plans for Tellico Dam as an opportunity for new jobs, better income, and economic benefit for the surrounding areas. Not only would it assist Fort Loudon in generating electric power, but also its location allows the dam to aid in flood control for the region, especially Chattanooga. In addition, Tellico Reservoir, or Tellico Lake as many now call it, would drastically change its landscape. Where there were once “fields of corn, tobacco, and hundreds of small dairy farms,” a bustling community now stood on the banks of the Little Tennesse River.

Acquiring the Land

To create the Tellico Lake we know today, the TVA acquired over 38,000 acres of land for development. The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) distributed some remaining grounds for residential, recreational, and industrial purposes as part of the proposed Timberlake planned city project. When approaching property owners, the TVA faced opposition from communities most affected by their previous projects. Still, those who were not direct beneficiaries, like the Appalachians in the Lower Tennessee Valley, were eager for the plan’s impacts.

The project’s acquisition phase involved eminent domain, allowing the TVA to take ownership of private property for public benefit. However, some property owners criticized the TVA for overreaching its authority and poorly executing relocation efforts.

Overall, the TVA spent $25.5 million on land acquisition for the Tellico Dam project. The controversy surrounding the project highlighted the tension between development plans and the preservation of local communities and their heritage.

The Snail Darter Controversy

Concerns Arise

Not the last of the hurdles, the Tellico Dam faced opposition from the TVA and environmental groups. Before any work began, the Tennessee Fish and Game Commission analyzed the situation due to fears that the dam would decimate trout fishing. Likewise, local farmers and the Cherokee Nation had concerns regarding the impact of the project and the way land was acquired.

The governor of Tennessee at this time was Winfield Dunn, who wrote a letter of dissent to the TVA in protest of the project, but the TVA was not keen to respond. Eventually, the farmers and environmental activists created the Environmental Defense Fund in 1972 and proceeded to sue the TVA via? the National Environmental Policy Act. Ultimately, these efforts would be in vain, as it was dismissed in 1972, and construction of the dam began.

Snail’s Pace to the Supreme Court

With outside pressures dealt with, the future of Tellico Dam seemed bright. That was until 1973 when a biologist and his team discovered the endangered snail darter fish. In December of the same year, the Nixon administration passed the Endangered Species Act (ESA). In turn, this legislation halted construction. 

Hill, who discovered the snail darter in the river, filed suit against the TVA, and work on the dam ceased in 1977. Later, the TVA tried to circumvent the lawsuit by petitioning for the removal of the snail darter from the endangered species list. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service declined this request.

Officials representing the project approached the Endangered Species Committee to exempt the dam from the ESA. It was promptly denied. Later, during a translocation of some of the snail darter population, over 100 species died, sparking further outrage. At this point, Tellico Dam, which neared completion, was dead in the water.

A Settled Debate

Following the upheaval caused by Tellico Dam and snail darters, further suits and arguments seemed futile. Surprisingly, President Jimmy Carter granted the Tellico reservoir project ESA exemption status in 1979. While Carter was a vocal advocate against completing the dam, continuing this stance risked American projects abroad. 

Small towns and native structures were flooded due to the dam’s impoundment, and Fort Loudoun was excavated and sits today as a state park. In an effort to ensure the species, snail darts were translocated to other rivers in the area.

Tellico Today

Finally, with reservations and preservation aside, the Tellico Dam project, which began in 1967, resumed impoundment 12 years later in 1979. Although Timberland would never come to fruition, prosperity still awaited the region. Today, Tellico Lake stands as a reservoir and a testament to the interplay between progress, preservation, and pristine beauty.

Frequently Asked Questions