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Essay on HISTORICAL HIGHLIGHTS
| Date: |
07-11-04 8:50am |
| Subject: |
Miscellaneous |
| Word Count: |
3983 |
| Page Count: |
15.93 |
HISTORICAL HIGHLIGHTS
A connecting link between the two rivers was considered by the French explorer to be needed if the French were successful in settling this region of the south.
In 1810, the citizens of Knox County, Tennessee (current location of Knoxville) petitioned the U.S. Congress to build the waterway that would shorten the distance by more than 800 miles for trade with New Orleans, Mobile and other ports along the Gulf of Mexico. Shortly after Alabama joined the union in 1819, the state hired an engineer to survey its rivers, including a possible connection with the Tennessee River.
From the early 1800's to about 1910, paddle driven steamboats plied the free flowing Tombigbee River carrying passengers and goods as far north as Amory, Mississippi and returning with tottering stacks of cotton bales, logs and other commodities. These vessels could operate only during those times of the year when river stages were high. Many sank or were destroyed by boiler explosions and fires but the arrival of the iron horse brought the end to this era.
The first engineering investigation of the waterway was during the Grant Administration in 1874-75. The study concluded that the U.S. Corps of Engineers could build such a project that included a total of 43 locks and a channel four feet deep; but, its commercial limitations made it impractical. Another investigation of the project was conducted in 1913. This study proposed a waterway with a six -foot channel and a total of 65 low lift locks. Congress, however, found its cost to be prohibitive and shelved the project.Other studies were conducted by the Corps in 1923, 1935, 1938 and 1945 that eventually led to congressional approval of the waterway in 1946. The development of the Tennessee River by TVA, especially the construction of the Pickwick Lock and Dam in 1938, help decrease Tenn-Tom's costs and increase its benefits. Strong opposition from key members of the Congress from other regions of the nation and from the railroad industry prevented any further development of the waterway until 1968 when President Johnson first budgeted funds to start the project's engineering and design.
It is said that President Kennedy had agreed to endorse the Tenn-Tom and had scheduled a meeting with the waterway's congressional leaders to formerly announce his support for its construction but the meeting never occurred because of his tragic and untimely death.
As part of his "Southern Strategy" for reelection, President Nixon included $1 million in the Corps of Engineers' 1971 budget to start construction of the Tenn-Tom. On May 25, 1971, the President traveled to Mobile, Alabama, to participate with then Governor George Wallace and other elected officials from four states to symbolically start construction of the long awaited Tennessee-Tombigbee. However, the actual start of construction was delayed until December 1972 because of a lawsuit filed against the waterway by a small group of environmentalists. The federal courts ruled in favor of the project.
Immediately after assuming office, President Jimmy Carter announced plans to terminate funding for 19 water resource projects and to study terminating 13 more, including the Tenn-Tom. Over 6500 waterway supporters attended a public hearing held in Columbus, Mississippi on March 29, 1977 as part of Carter's review of the waterway. This overwhelming outpouring of public support for the project led to the President withdrawing his opposition. Later the Carter Administration selected the Tennessee-Tombigbee as a national demonstration program of how large public works projects can favorably impact rural America. During its long history, no President has ever opposed the Tenn-Tom.
A second lawsuit was filed by L&N Railroad (now CSX) and the Environmental Defense Fund of New York in November 1976 to stop construction of the waterway. The plaintiffs alleged that the Corps had violated the National Environmental Policy Act in designing and building the project and had abused its discretionary authorities in altering the project. This litigation lasted for some 7 years but the federal courts again ruled in favor of the project.
After 12 years of construction at a total cost of nearly $2 billion, the Tennessee -Tombigbee Waterway was completed on December 12, 1984, when the last plug of earth was removed from the waterway channel at Amory, Mississippi allowing the long awaited mixing of the waters of the Tombigbee with that of the Tennessee River.
The Tenn-Tom officially opened to commerce on January 10, 1985 when the Towboat, Eddie Waxler, transporting nearly 2.7 million gallons of petroleum products, made its maiden voyage on the waterway. A lottery was held to select the first commercial tow to transit the waterway.
The dedication of the completion of the waterway was held on June 1, 1985. Record hot temperatures did not deter some 100,000 people, including many Members of Congress, Governors, and other elected officials, from attending ceremonies in Columbus, Mississippi and Mobile, Alabama that day. During the previous week, numerous other celebrations were held throughout the four-state waterway corridor as far away as Paducah, Ky. One newspaper reporter observed that, "such public exuberance that had been displayed at the Tenn-Tom events had not occurred in this region since those held at the end of World War II". The successful completion of the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway had to overcome many hurdles and pitfalls during its long history. Even after construction was well underway, a small but well organized group of opponents exhausted all legal resources in the federal courts as well as aggressively lobbied the Congress to stop the project. According to information provided, in some cases, they nearly succeeded. While some may give the credit to divine intervention, it was the dedication and untiring efforts of many waterway supporters that not only overcame this opposition, but also other hurdles, and helped culminate this dream and hope of many generations.
THE TENNESSEE-TOMBIGBEE WATERWAY DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
The Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway Development Authority was authorized by the U.S. Congress in 1958 as an interstate compact, consisting of the States of Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Tennessee. Florida was also a member from 1967 to 1990. The Authority serves as the regional sponsor of the Tenn-Tom and addresses both growth opportunities as well as potential impediments to the waterway's public benefits. The chairmanship of the compact rotates annually among the four governors. Governor Fordice of Mississippi is Chairman during 1998. Each governor appoints five citizens to represent their state's interests in the activities of the Authority. This regional agency played a key role in garnering the necessary grassroots and political support to get the project built. The organization worked very closely with federal agencies and the U.S. Congress during its 12 years of construction. Since completion of the waterway, it now devotes its resources toward promoting the development of the waterway and its economic and trade potential.
TENN-TOM FUNDING
Since the 1840's, the Federal Government has had the responsibility for operating and maintaining the nation's inland waterways. In recent years, it has become increasingly difficult for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to meet these responsibilities because of a lack of funding. For example, the President's 1999 budget is nearly $200 million less than needed to adequately maintain our waterways. Unless the U.S. Congress provides more funds, the Tennessee-Tombigbee waterway will be under funded by more than $5 million . The U.S. Senate approved $18.2 million for the Tenn-Tom which is $1.2 million more than that recommended by the President but nearly $4 million less than needed. Fortunately, The U.S. House has approved $22 million for the project which will adequately maintain the waterway. Efforts are underway to get the Senate to accede to the house when the Conference Committee takes up the Energy and Water Development Appropriations Bill in August or early September. If the House recommendations are not finally approved, over $4 million of scheduled and needed maintenance will be indefinitely deferred until 2000 and beyond for the second year in a row. The physical integrity of this $2 billion investment will begin to suffer.
WATERWAY CONSTRUCTION
The Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway is the largest water resource project ever built in the United States. It is one of the engineering marvels of the world. The major features of the waterway are 10 locks and dams; a 175-foot deep canal connecting the Tennessee River with the Tombigbee River watershed;and, 234 miles of navigation channels. The federal project was designed and constructed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers with annual appropriations from the U.S. Congress. Corps employees performed most all of the engineering and design work and served as the construction manager for the project. Actual construction was accomplished by private contractors selected to build specific components of the project by competitive bids. The Mobile District of the Corps was responsible for the southern 195 miles of the waterway, including 9 of the locks and dams. The remaining 29 miles of the project, including the fourth highest single lift lock in the nation and the massive excavation of the so-called Divide Cut, were assigned to the Corps' Nashville District.
The Tenn-Tom is the largest earth moving project in history,requiring the excavation of nearly 310 million cubic yards of soil or the equivalent of more than 100 million dump truck loads. Construction began in December 1972 with the building of the Howell Heflin dam (located in Gainesville LID) at the southern end of the waterway. A total of 2.2 million cubic yards of concrete and 33,000 tons of reinforcing steel were used in building the 10 locks. The 110 x 600-foot lock chambers hold an average of about 20 million gallons of water, an amount equivalent to that used each day by a city with a population of about 60,000. A series of culverts, resembling large tuning forks as shown above, were constructed in the bottom of each lock to allow the lock chambers to empty or fill in about 20 minutes without any turbulence or whirl pools that might cause safety concerns for boats being locked. The safe raising or lowering of the water levels inside the chamber is most important since some of the commercial tows consist of shipments of as much as 6 million gallons of fuel as well as chemicals. Waterways are the safest mode for moving these kinds of commodities.
The 10 locks are needed to raise and lower boats and commercial vessels a total of 341 feet, the difference in elevation between the southern and northern ends of the waterway. A lesser number of locks could have been built but this would have resulted in more land flooded caused by the larger impoundments behind the higher locks and dams and thus more environmental damages.
The Tennessee-Tombigbee was the first large water resource project constructed in accordance with the provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). Major design changes were made to better accommodate environmental quality as mandated by NEPA. An example of these changes in the project's design is the nearly 50-mile levee shown above on the left side of the photo. The levee was added to prevent the destruction of prime wildlife habitat along the upper reaches of the Tombigbee River caused by permanent flooding from the impoundments of 5 locks. One of the most challenging features of the waterway to design and construct was the so called Divide Cut, a 27-mile canal that connects the Tenn-Tom with Pickwick Lake on the Tennessee River.
To build this navigation canal, which is 280 feet wide and 12 feet deep, required the removal of 150 million cubic yards of earth. Seven private contractors, using conventional equipment, completed this awesome task in less than 8 years. The deepest cut was 175 feet with an average excavation of 50 feet along the entire reach of the canal. The dirt removed from the Cut was placed in nearby valleys. These spoil disposal areas were carefully contoured and landscaped in a manner that precluded one of the most potentially serious environmental problems associated with the waterway construction. Construction of the waterway also involved the relocation or replacement of 8 railroad bridges and 14 highway bridges. The States of Alabama and Mississippi were responsible for building the highway bridges, which cost $155 million. Above is a railroad relocation showing a massive earth fill that had to be built to provide uninterrupted rail service and later was removed when the bridge was completed.
Special programs were implemented during construction to help increase regional economic benefits. The waterway region was one of the most economically depressed sections of the nation at that time. Moreover, many of these counties are rural and some have majority populations of minorities. Many of the waterway residents had no working experience or skills in heavy construction crafts.
Some unprecedented measures were undertaken to help insure that the lives of these economically deprived people were improved by the waterway's construction. For example, a local hiring preference clause was included in each construction contract that required the contractor to attempt to hire as much of his work force as possible from within a 50-mile radius of the waterway.
A very progressive minority hiring program was instituted that included employment goals for each construction craft. A separate program with specific goals was also established for female workers. To meet these ambitious objectives, intensive job training efforts were implemented, including a unique worker-trainee program that required the close cooperation of the affected trade unions, the contractors and the Corps of Engineers.
These social programs were very successful. Construction of the waterway required 25 million man-hours of labor. About 85 percent of these workers came from the waterway corridor. At the end of construction, the work force included 33 percent minorities and nearly 5 percent female workers. Also, nearly $450 million of work was subcontracted to minority firms. Because of these successes, the Carter Administration selected the Tenn-Tom as a national demonstration project of how to maximize local economic impacts of a large public works project built in a rural area.
These programs not only accomplished socio-economic objectives they also precluded the typical "boon and bust" conditions generally experienced when large projects are built in sparsely populated areas that do not have the infrastructure or services to support a large influx of workers.
Construction was completed on December 12,1984 exactly 12 years after it began. The total cost was $l.992 billion, including non-federal costs. The waterway will have a physical life of 100 years or more and an assumed economic life of 50 years. This investment will return economic benefits to many generations to come.
DESCRIPTION
The Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway is a connecting link between established water transportation routes that serve shippers and producers in the South and the Midwest as well as deep water ports along the eastern Gulf of Mexico. This unique feature has already benefitted commercial interests in 16 states since it opened for business in 1985.
The 234 - mile waterway begins at its northern end at Pickwick Lake on the Tennessee River, flows through northeast Mississippi and west Alabama, and finally connecting with the established Warrior-Tombigbee navigation system at Demopolis, Alabama. From there, commerce travels northward as far as Port Birmingham, Alabama or south to Mobile, Alabama, or other destinations along the Gulf coast. The main features of Tenn-Tom are 10 locks and dams and a 29-mile man-made canal, one of the largest earth moving projects in history. The 10 locks raise or lower barges and boats a total of 341 feet, the difference in elevation between the two ends of the waterway. There are some 40 recreation areas that provide easy access to nearly 44,000 acres of water - related sports and other activities. In addition, marinas are located along the Tenn-Tom and connecting waterways to meet the needs of local as well as transient boaters.
Over 110,000 acres of land were acquired for the construction and operation of the project. Some of these lands are available for public hunting. Another 88,000 acres have been purchased and managed by the two state conservation agencies for wildlife habitat. After
12 years of construction, the waterway was opened to commercial traffic in January 1985. Seventeen public ports and terminals are strategically located along the waterway to serve shippers needs. The following are brief descriptions of the key features of the Tenn-Tom:
THE DIVIDED CUT
Ten years of work and a cost of nearly $500 million were needed to excavate a canal through the divide that separates the watersheds of the Tennessee and Tombigbee Rivers, the deepest cut is 175 feet and the average depth of excavation along the entire 29-mile reach is 25 feet. While the breadth of the cut at the top of the natural terrain is nearly one- half mile wide, the canal itself is 280 feet wide and 12 feet deep. The 150 million cubic yards of earth removed (nearly one and one-half times that excavated in building the Suez Canal) were carefully deposited and landscaped in the valleys along the canal. This successful disposal of so much excavated soil solved one of the most potentially serious environmental problems confronting the construction of the waterway.
WHITTEN LOCK AND DAM
Whitten Lock and Dam, located in Tishomingo County near Belmont, Mississippi, is the northernmost lock on the Tenn-Tom. The Lock raises and lowers barges and pleasure boats 84 feet, the difference in the elevation levels of the water above and below the dam. This is the fourth highest single lift lock in the nation. The dam forms a 6600 - acre lake that joins the so called Divide Cut canal, and ultimately connecting the Tenn-Tom with the Tennessee River. The structure, named in honor of Jamie Whitten, a former Congressman from Mississippi who served over 50 years in the U.S. House of Representatives, cost $75 million.
G.V. "SONNY" MONTGOMERY LOCK
Montgomery Lock is located in northern Itawamba County, Mississippi and named after a former U.S. Representative from Mississippi. The lock has a lift of 30 feet and cost $47 million.
JOHN RANKIN LOCK
This lock is one of five such structures that makeup the so called Chain of Lakes segment of the waterway. These locks form relatively small lakes (most less than 1000 acres in size) to help minimize environmental impacts. A levee along the western side of these impoundments preserved the upper reach of the Tombigbee River by preventing its inundation and destruction. Rankin Lock has a lift of 30 feet and is located in Itawamba County, Mississippi. It is named in honor of former Congressman John Rankin of Mississippi, one of the waterway's earliest champions in the Congress.
FULTON LOCK
Named for the nearby Town of Fulton, Mississippi, the lock has a lift of 25 feet. Its lake is the largest in the Chain of Lakes section at 1643 acres and is the setting for the Whitten Historical Center, a major attraction of the waterway.
GLOVER WILKINS LOCK
Wilkins Lock has a lift of 25 feet and cost $34 million. It is located in northern Monroe County near Smithville, Mississippi. The Lock is named after the long time administrator of the Tenn-Tom Waterway Development Authority, who was instrumental in making the waterway a reality.
AMORY LOCK
Named after the nearby Town of Amory, the lock is the southern most facility in the Chain of Lakes section of Tenn-Tom with a lift of 30 feet. The 914 - acre lake caused by the lock was the site in December 1984 where the last remaining section of the navigation channel was removed. This removal, after 12 years of construction, allowed the "mixing" of waters from the two river systems and unimpeded commerce through the waterway.
ABERDEEN LAKE
The 27-foot lift lock is located in its namesake of Aberdeen, MS. The dam forms a 13.5-mile long lake covering over 4,000 acres costing roughly $43 million. This and the following three locks and dams make up the so called River Section where the waterway generally follows the course of the Tombigbee River.
JOHN C. STENNIS LOCK AND DAM
This structure was relocated about four miles from its original site to prevent the flooding and loss of Plymouth Bluff, the site of an early settlement and a unique geological formation. One of the waterway's two environmental centers is located here. The center, operated by the Mississippi University of Women, offers unique educational opportunities in the earth sciences and is available to the general public. The 27-foot lift lock and dam is located in Lowndes County, Mississippi near Columbus and is named in honor of one of Mississippi's greatest leaders of this century, former U.S. Senator John C. Stennis. Columbus Lake is the largest of the ten impoundments making up the Tenn-Tom, some 23 miles long and over 8900 acres in size.
TOM BEVILL LOCK AND DAM
Bevill Lock and Dam are located in Pickens County, Al near the Town of Pickensville. The lock has a lift of 27 feet and the dam impounds the 8300 - acre Aliceville Lake. The project cost $45 million.
It is named in honor of former Alabama Congressman Tom Bevill. Mr. Bevill chaired the congressional committee in the U.S. House of Representatives that approved the funding for the Tenn-Tom during its construction. Here is located one of the waterway's most impressive and recognizable sights, the Tom Bevill Visitors Center. This replica of a southern antebellum plantation home sits on the waterway near the MV. Montgomery, a retired paddle wheel river work boat. Both are open to the public.
HOWELL HEFLIN LOCK AND DAM
The Heflin Lock and Dam is the southern most structure on the Tenn-Tom. From here, commercial and recreation vessels reach the connecting Warrior-Tombigbee Waterway some 53 miles away via an improved Tombigbee River and the impoundment created by the Demopolis Lock and Dam. From Demopolis, it is 215 miles to the Gulf of Mexico. The lock has a lift of 36 feet, the second highest on the Tenn - Tom. It is located in Greene County near the Town of Gainesville, Al. Its impoundment, Gainesville Lake, is 40 miles long and covers 6,400 acres. The lock and dam is named in honor of former U.S. Senator, Howell Heflin, of Alabama.
COMMERCE AND TRADE
The Tenn-Tom Waterway has proven to be an important new component of the Nation's transportation system. It has helped reduce transportation costs for manufacturers and producers in as many as 14 states.
COMMERCE
Commercial traffic has steadily grown each year since the waterway opened in 1985. About 10 million tons are shipped each year. The principal commodities in terms of tonnage are shown below.
A RELIABLE TRANSPORT ROUTE
The Tenn-Tom saved companies $millions in 1988 when a summer drought closed the Mississippi River to barge traffic. Unaffected by low water conditions, the waterway proved to be a viable alternative route to the Mississippi and kept plants in the Ohio Valley and Midwestern States supplied with essential raw materials needed for continued operation for nearly two months.
RAIL RATES DECLINE
Rail costs for some shippers decreased by as much as 15 to 25 percent when the Tenn-Tom first opened. The availability of an alternative mode continues to help keep rail and truck shipping costs in check.
INTERNATIONAL TRADE
The Tennessee-Tombigbee is strategically positioned to serve increased trade with Latin America and other foreign markets. About 2 million tons of commerce is now exported each year via the Tenn-Tom.
Port facilities throughout the waterway corridor offer a wide range of intermodal services to companies involved in international trade. Deep-water ports along the Gulf can also be reached by the Tenn-Tom.
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