COLUMBIA, Tenn. (WTVF) — For the first time, state agencies and an influential hunting group are weighing in on the debate over the future of the Duck River, and a potential new dam in Maury County. "We think it’s a bad idea," said Mike Butler, CEO of the Tennessee Wildlife Federation.
"This will equate to lost wildlife habitat and public access for hunting and outdoor recreation," says a spokesperson for TWRA.
The problem and proposed solutions
With such rapid growth in Maury County, utility providers are worried there will come a day when you turn on the faucet and no water comes out. There are controversial ideas about how to help with the water supply, including resurrecting the Columbia Dam project on the Duck River or a system of pipelines in order to bring additional drinking water into the area from other communities.
Building a dam in Columbia, on the Duck River, isn't a new idea. Back in the 1970s, the Tennessee Valley Authority actually started construction. But controversially, that included the federal government seizing nearly 13,000 acres of privately owned land, largely through eminent domain, to make way for a new lake. Work continued until an environmental lawsuit, contending the dam would threaten several freshwater mussel species, halted all construction work.
You can watch our in-depth piece on the Columbia Dam proposal by clicking here.
Eventually, TVA decided to abandon the project and dismantle what they had built. TVA also couldn't return the land to the original home, farm, and business owners, so instead, they gave nearly 13,000 acres to the state of Tennessee. The state, in turn, created the Yanahli Wildlife Management area, a free place for hunters and anglers to enjoy the outdoors.
Speaking out
NewsChannel 5 reached out to several state agencies to see if they had taken public stances on how to solve Maury County's water woes. The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) took the most forceful stance. This is the agency's full statement:
The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) is aware of the growing conversation around water resources in the Duck River Watershed and the competing proposals to address it.
The Agency supports Governor Bill Lee’s Duck River Watershed Planning Partnership, which was established in November 2024 through Executive Order 108 with the goal of balancing economic growth with the need to conserve natural resources.
TWRA is a member of the planning partnership and is the agency responsible for managing and protecting the numerous species that inhabit North America’s most biologically diverse freshwater river. Notably, the Duck River watershed historically harbored 75 species of mussels, including 15 currently listed as threatened or endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. The Agency is committed to the conservation of these, and other species found in the area and will continue to be actively engaged in collaborative discussions among stakeholders on how best to manage water resources.
Additionally, TWRA manages 12,800 acres of public land at Yanahli Wildlife Management Area (WMA). The WMA features cedar glades and oak-hickory hardwood forests, mixed with some cropland. A good mix of edge and forest provides for diverse flora and fauna. Early successional bird species include Northern Bobwhite, American Kestrel, and Prairie Warbler, all of which are local nesting birds uncommon elsewhere in Middle Tennessee. Forest birds include Summer and Scarlet Tanager, Wood Thrush, and Red-headed Woodpecker. Wild Turkey are common year-round.
One proposal to address water resources challenges is to dam the Duck River. While this proposal potentially could require action at both the federal and state level, if this proposal was implemented - and depending on pool elevation - upwards of 9,000 acres of the WMA could be inundated. This will equate to lost wildlife habitat and public access for hunting and outdoor recreation.
Because of the potential for loss of lands to the sportsmen and women of Tennessee, TWRA supports a thorough and diligent review process, with all stakeholders at the table, to balance all the competing interests. We believe in the work of Governor Lee’s Duck River Watershed Planning Partnership, and look forward to working with all stakeholders to determine the best path forward for wildlife conservation as well as Tennesseans.
The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) told us they support the Governor's task force studying a pipeline project.
"TDEC is committed to the ongoing work of the Duck River Watershed Planning Partnership to identify and study solutions that balance economic growth, water resource management, and conservation. The partnership is reviewing current data, assessing best practices, and evaluating a range of viable alternatives to make recommendations for the benefit of the Duck River that can also be used as a model for statewide water management and other watersheds in Tennessee."
The Tennessee Wildlife Federation (TWF) also backs the pipeline study and raised major concerns about proposals to bring back the Columbia Dam. Mike Butler, CEO of the TWF, says constructing a lake will eliminate thousands of public hunting lands out at the Yanohli Wildlife Management Area. "If you want to small game hunt, if you want to turkey hunt, if you want to deer hunt, if you want to go fish, where are you going to find a 12,000-acre block of land?" he asked. "It’s big enough that you can get lost, and that’s hard to do in Middle Tennessee."
A land swap?
Butler argues, sacrificing Yanahli Wildlife Management Area comes with steep financial penalties, too, thanks to a Tennessee law that requires the state to replace any public hunting land it gets rid of. "We wrote a lot of that provision ourselves," Butler says.
Sure enough, Tenn. Code Ann. 70-5-101(f)(7) says in part that "When lands owned by the agency are closed to hunting or fishing, the agency shall mitigate the closure by opening new lands to be used for the same purpose, within twelve (12) months of closure."
The statute also stipulates it must be "at least equal to the acreage of lands closed by the agency" and "located in the same grand division of the state."
Butler thinks all of these factors would come into play if TWRA decided to deed Yanolhi WMA back to TVA to build the Columbia Dam, which would force the state to find replacement hunting grounds in Middle Tennessee. "That’s not a cheap endeavor, especially in Middle Tennessee with the land prices we have," said Butler.
Butler has other concerns about the dam, too, like how much water the lake would actually hold year-round. The Tennessee Wildlife Federation has pointed to a Congressional Report from 1980 that includes concerns that much of the lake would be the equivalent of mudflats during the winter months, when water levels were lowered. "It’s not going to be this resort lake that we think people are being sold at this point," said Butler.
Butler acknowledges that a pipeline project presents its own complications and expenses, but supports Governor Bill Lee's task force studying the idea. "That's what the partnership is about, it’s finding what is the most efficient and effective way to do it," he said.
He says he is convinced that the Columbia Dam is not the direction the state should take. "We keep coming back to the fact -- it just doesn’t make sense," said Butler.
In a statement, TVA insisted there are no current plans to move forward with the Columbia Dam Project. "TVA has no plans at this time to build a new dam or reservoir in our seven-state region," wrote Scott Brooks, a spokesperson for TVA. "TVA will continue to work with federal, state and local partners to help ensure there is sufficient water supply for communities along the Duck River."
According to public records, the last dam TVA completed was the Tellico Dam in East Tennessee back in 1979.
Columbia Dam Now responds
Columbia Damn Now, a group of citizens pushing for a new dam, sent us a lengthy statement. You can read it in full here:
Columbia Dam Now is the grassroots organization that has made tremendous strides in the effort to rebuild the Columbia Dam and we are not trying to work against or circumvent the duck river watershed planning partnership or any agency involved. What Columbia Dam Now is doing, is pushing for all those involved in solving the long-term water solution for those in the duck River basin is to assure that the dam is one of the long-term options being considered for a myriad of reasons. First and foremost, the reservoir is the only long-term solution that would provide affordable water to the rate payers utilizing that water. Secondly, the reservoir would help protect the level and flow of the duck river even during dry seasons. Thirdly, the reservoir is the only option that would provide a tremendous economic impact to Maury and surrounding counties. The reservoir would also prevent flooding downstream in Hickman and counties further west. It would create an environment where many species would grow and thrive. There are almost too many benefits to list that the Columbia Dam would bring to the Duck River Watershed and the Dam should have never been torn down. And for the betterment of those who are affected by our future water needs the Columbia Dam should be rebuilt.
Columbia Dam Now fully believes the best solution to solve the need for water in the Duck River is to first raise the Normandy Lake Water Level which has been recommended by several agencies doing studies over the past 20 years and that will give some relief for water while the construction of the Columbia Dam is completed which is the 100 year solution for our water needs in the Duck River Basin. All other proposals so far will be in the billions to finish and raise consumers water bills by $200.00 dollars
We think the best use right now of the 65 million dollars allocated by Governor Bill Lee and the Tennessee General Assembly is to contact with TVA to raise Normandy Lake and use those funds to pay for it.
To our knowledge the TWRA according to the Director has always had a NEUTRAL POSITION to all solutions being offered to increase the amount of water in the Duck River Basin.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at Chris.Davis@NewsChannel5.com
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