The Tennessee Valley Authority's Tellico Dam Project--Costs, Alternatives, and Benefits

The Tellico project is a 38,000 acre water resource and regional economic development project located on the Little Tennessee River. In January 1977 the courts halted construction of the project because it would destroy the snail darter, an endangered species of fish. As of February 1977, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) had obligated about $103 million on the project and estimated that $13 million to $19 million would be required to complete it.