1936 — TVA lists Tellico site on Little Tennessee River as one of 69 potential dam sites.
1959 — TVA Chairman Red Wagner proposes Tellico Dam to be primarily justified by land development and recreation benefit claims.
1968 — TVA begins Tellico Dam, based on land development for “Timberlake New Town” to be built by Boeing Corp.
1972 — Farmers and environmentalists get National Environmental Policy Act injunction, based on TVA’s lack of an environmental impact statement.
1973 — The new environmental impact statement is deemed sufficient, and the NEPA injunction is lifted.
* Dr. David Etnier discovers the snail darter at Coytee Springs shoal on the Little Tennessee.
* Richard Nixon signs the Endangered Species Act.
1975 — Boeing abandons the Timberlake project.
* Citizens’ petition to federal Department of Interior is granted to list the snail darter as endangered.
1976 — District Judge Robert Taylor finds and Endangered Species Act violation against TVA, but declines injunction.
1977 — 6th Circuit grants injunction.
1978 — The case is argued before U.S. Supreme Court.
* The Supreme Court upholds injunction.
1979 — A Cabinet-level committee, created by the Baker-Culver Endangered Species Act Amendments, unanimously upholds snail darter injunction on economic grounds.
* Sen. Baker and Rep. John Duncan push appropriations rider overruling the Endangered Species Act and other laws; President Jimmy Carter fails to veto override; Cherokees file religious freedom lawsuit, which Judge Taylor dismisses; 6th Circuit affirms; Supreme Court refuses to hear the appeal.
* Reservoir is completed and river is impounded.
1982 —There is no economic activity; TVA proposes use of the valley as regional toxic waste facility; citizens’ public outcry sinks proposal.
1984 — TVA begins cooperation with developers to create a high-income resort home development.
1984 and forward — Some light industrial development locates near U.S. Highway 411; extensive flat water recreation emerges around lake; several communities of high-income resort homes begin; darter transplants allow downlisting to “threatened” status.
Source: UT College of Law
