Tennessee Valley Authority

Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), U.S. federal agency responsible for developing the water and other resources of the Tennessee River Valley, established (1933) as one of the early measures of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal. The TVA has 26 major dams on the Tennessee River and its tributaries. The dams and reservoirs have made it possible to eliminate major flooding. Locks make the Tennessee navigable throughout, and TVA hydroelectric and steam plans provide most of the region's electricity. TVA projects have also involved conservation, agriculture, and forestry.

See also: New Deal.