TVA river management topic of July 12 talk

An overview of the Tennessee Valley Authority’s management of rivers will be presented at noon Tuesday, July 12, at the UT Resource Center, 1201 Oak Ridge Turnpike. The speaker, hosted by Friends of Oak Ridge National Laboratory (FORNL), will be Ben Heath, a water resource engineer in the TVA River Forecast Center.

A professional engineer who has been employed by TVA for 11 years, Heath works with a team of engineers to continuously monitor and schedule the Tennessee River system for the maximum benefit of Tennessee Valley residents.

“As an East Tennessee native, I have been motivated to pursue engineering excellence to improve the stewardship of the resources and quality of life for the people of the Tennessee Valley," ” Heath said.

At the in-person “hybrid” meeting, attendees may bring their own food to eat, but are asked to wear a mask when not eating or drinking. To view the virtual noon lecture, click on the talk title on the homepage of the www.fornl.org website and then click on the Zoom link near the top of the page describing the lecture.

Here is Heath’s summary of his talk to FORNL.

“Regulation of the Tennessee River system, the original objective of TVA when it was established in 1933, is still a vitally important mission for the agency. With an average annual rainfall of 51 inches, the Tennessee Valley receives many benefits of a productive hydrological cycle.

“TVA must manage the river system for the often-competing operating objectives of navigation, flood damage reduction, power generation, water supply, water quality and recreation because of watershed changes and uncertainties about meteorological factors, particularly rainfall. Hear about the strategies TVA engineers employ in seeking optimal outcomes that enhance the quality of life within the Tennessee Valley for nearly 10 million residents.”

This article originally appeared on Oakridger: TVA river management topic of July 12 talk