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Show little used. It has been estimated that expenditures for recreation in New England in 1934 were almost four-fifths of the total income from all sources for the eastern Tennessee Valley. As lakes theretofore not common in the basin came into being through building dams, it became apparent that recreation was one of the opportuni- ties they afforded. TVA has created 16 new lakes and has acquired 10 others. There now is an interconnected chain of nine reservoir lakes on the Tennessee River available for pleasure boat navigation. Other lakes are among the forested Cumberland and Smoky Mountains. Altogether these lakes have wide stretches of clear water, sheltered bays, and 10,000 miles of shore line. Many recreational facilities have been constructed. Public response to recreational facilities.-At first it was uncertain what public response would be to recreation values of reservoirs whose waters fluctuated in extreme cases as much as 100 feet a year. The favorable public response to new fishing waters could not be foreseen nor was it anticipated that the reservoirs would continue to support inten- sive recreational fishing. Also fluctuation of the waters imposed many technical problems of design and operation of recreation facilities. Policies to govern recreation use and development have evolved through the joint experience of TVA, the State and local public agencies, and the private groups of the region. One of the definite problems was education of local people to the needs for drawdown of reservoirs and adaptation to it. The Tennessee Valley Authority, with the Na- tional Park Service and the Civilian Conservation Corps, constructed five demonstration parks. As public understanding of the recreation potentialities of the reservoirs increased and demand for facilities grew, a few boat dock sites were licensed, a limited number of lots were leased for private summer resi- dences, and a few areas were leased for group camp purposes. The public response to the recreation values of the reservoirs became enthusiastic. TVA thereupon took steps to stimulate use of the recrea- tion resources of the valley. Public agencies, State and local, and private enterprises have been so re- sponsive to the new recreation opportunities that TVA has been able to transfer to State and local agencies most of the demonstration areas. The TVA dams and powerhouses now are a major tour- ist attraction. Six million visitors see them each year. Some 40 to 50 percent of these visitors are from outside the States in which the particular dams are located. Problems created for reservoir operation by recreation demands.-The season of most intensive recreation use corresponds with the periods of highest water in the reservoirs, except in unusually dry summers. Operational requirements for flood control, power, and navigation therefore have im- posed no serious limitations on use of the reservoirs for recreation. However, extreme care has been exercised in allocating lands for recreation purposes. For example, a boat harbor requires year-round water access. Locations for this purpose have been found in coves and inlets where the&re is deep water even during periods of drawdown. Where TVA or private lands are involved, the public and investors in recreation facilities are in- formed of the necessity for operating reservoirs for their primary purposes and of the effects of such operation. TVA has stressed the point that the recreation values of the multiple-purpose reservoirs represent a bonus over and above those for flood control, navigation, and power production. The TVA Act requires that the Authority approve plans for proposed construction by third parties of struc- tures along the Tennessee River and its tributaries which would in any way affect navigation, flood control, or public lands or reservations. As pub- lic understanding increases, requests for use not in keeping with TVA primary program require- ments become fewer, although recreational use along the total shoreline has increased many fold in the last 10 years. Type of recreational facilities considered essen- tial.-Provision for adequate public access is of prime importance in a recreation program involving water resources projects. This public access is pro- vided in the valley by shoreline access easements on behalf of the public, by allocation of lands for spe- cific public access points providing ingress to and egress from the water, and by public park lands- Federal, State, and local. Other categories of use demand are for boat harbors to serve inboard boats in the run-about cruiser class and small fishing craft; lands to afford sufficient opportunity for development of private commercial businesses-re- sorts, fishing camps, group camps, private clubs, and private summer residences. In the Tennessee Valley considerable building has taken place on lands not immediately adjoin- ing the reservoirs. For instance, there are such commercial enterprises as tourist courts, restaurants, boat sales and service establishments, and worm ranches. However, access to the water in the form 783 |