Asian Carp Mitigation Project

Tennessee River System

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) has prepared a final Programmatic Environmental Assessment (PEA) to evaluate installation of Asian carp deterrent systems at selected lock and dam (L&D) sites along the Tennessee and Clinch Rivers and assess the potential environmental and economic impacts of Asian carp expansion and control. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, Alabama Division of Natural Resources, Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife and Mississippi Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks are serving as cooperating agencies on the PEA.

TVA conducted a Programmatic National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review of the proposed installation of fish barriers at multiple L&Ds in the Tennessee River System following guidance from the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ). Programmatic NEPA reviews address the general environmental issues relating to broad decisions, such as those establishing policies, plans, programs, or suite of projects, and can effectively frame the scope of subsequent site- and project-specific Federal actions. This approach is appropriate because of environmental impacts of TVA’s installation of Asian carp fish barriers at multiple sites are likely to be similar within typical environmental contexts and can be effectively evaluated at a broad scale across the Tennessee River Watershed.

The purpose of TVA’s proposed action is to control the abundance and range expansion of Asian carp within the Tennessee River reservoir system and its tributaries by installing fish barriers at strategic dam locations. The action is needed to reduce potential future ecosystem and economic consequences associated with the establishment of Asian carp in the Tennessee River System.

This PEA has been prepared to inform TVA decision makers and the public about the environmental consequences of the proposed action. TVA determined which fish barrier technologies could be used at TVA L&Ds and assessed the environmental effects of these systems. Specific fish barrier technologies and their strategic locations were selected based on their potential effectiveness, costs, environmental impacts, and economic impacts using a Structured Decision-Making process.

Public Involvement

Comments were collected from the general public, local, state and federal stakeholders from July 7, 2021 through August 5, 2021. All comments were considered in the final Programmatic EA.

Virtual Public Information Session

Below is a replay of the virtual public information session that was held on Thursday, July 15, 2021.