This is an industry channeling billions of dollars through the economy each year. Its input is particularly strong in a region such as the Tennessee Valley, which is water-rich. Many people have no farther to go to enjoy a reservoir than their own backyard. The housing industry has profited greatly from the high regard reserved for reservoirs and the property bordering them. A lot of them have realized that dream, and they've been joined by countless others drawn to the Valley from other parts of the country.
Public power is a significant added attraction.
Public power allows communities to have control not only over their electricity, but also over such areas as the environment and recreational use of natural resources. That's because public power is committed to the well-being of the communities, not to making profits for stockholders. But that's just one of a variety of ways the dams and reservoirs have increased the quality of life and the economy of Valley communities, Hernandez says. They don't depend on swimming pools for their drinking water. Pool water isn't used for cooling purposes at the nearest power plant or industry.