[TN-Bird] Urgent Action Needed - TVA River Operations Study
- From: Charlie <cmmbirds@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: TN-Bird <TN-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 21 Aug 2003 07:20:40 -0700 (PDT)
Tennessee Valley Birders:
As you have seen mentioned here and probably elsewhere, the Tennessee
Valley Authority is in the midst of its Reservoir Operations Study.
This study is to determine whether changes in how TVA operates the TN
river system would produce "greater overall public value." The draft
environmental impact statement for this study was released several
weeks ago and TVA is taking public comments on it until September 4,
2003.
Birders have a lot at stake in the ROS, as most of the alternatives
that TVA is considering would, if selected, result in changes in
reservoir water levels at various times of the years. Of particular
concern are the several alternatives that would delay the late summer
drawdown of tributary reservoirs (such as Douglas, South Holston and
Norris) until Labor Day. This change would eliminate critical
habitat for migrating shorebirds, as well as herons and egrets,
during August and September at sites such as Rankin Bottoms. Several
of the alternatives would also result in higher winter water levels;
while this may have some benefits to waterfowl, it would eliminate a
lot of mud flats important to gulls, sandhill cranes, and other
species.
TVA is, in effect, compiling votes on the various issues and
alternatives, so numbers of commentors have become very important.
According to the press reports of the public meetings that TVA has
been holding across the valley, the strongest public support seems to
be for the alternatives that delay the late summer drawdowns until
Labor Day - and thus destroying a lot of shorebird habitat. About
500 people came out to the meeting in Morristown a couple weeks ago
(a much larger attendance than has been present at most other
meetings) and these folks were very vocal in their preference for
delaying summer drawdowns.
So please let TVA know how you feel about the ROS alternatives. Let
them know that the delayed drawdowns will cause great harm to
shorebirds and wading birds. Demand that TVA, if it does choose an
alternative that destroys this important habitat, mitigate the loss
by providing a comparable or greater amount of habitat distributed
across the reservoir system, and that TVA commit to properly manage
this replacement habitat in perpetuity.
You can submit your comments by writing TVA at rostudy@xxxxxxx, or by
entering your comments onto TVA's web page. Do this by going to
http://www.tva-ros.com/ and following instructions. Then choose
"terrestrial ecology" from list under "Study Areas" then click on
"Comment on Selection" and enter comments into box on next screen.
State your concerns over the loss of late summer/early fall habitat
for shorebirds, herons, egrets, and other species, as well as the
loss of winter mudflat habitat. You can also vote for or against
individual alternatives by choosing an alternative under "Policy
Alternatives" and then enter specific comments about likes/dislikes
of that alternative. Note that the "Base Case" alternative (the
present operating regime) is the only one that would not harm
important shorebird and wading bird habitat.
TVA needs to hear from you by September 4. Too much is at stake to
quietly sit this one out.
=====
**************************************************
Charlie Muise, Senior Naturalist
Now living in Maryville, TN
Still working in Great Smoky Mountains
National Park
"Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm"
Ralph Waldo Emerson
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