source of direct employment for citizens of the town, and employ-
ment in other trades and services depended almost wholly upon
agricultural income in the trade area. The Kentucky reservoir threat-
ened to flood about one-third of the town containing 25 business
establishments, 65 dwellings, and the railroad station. Also about 23
percent of the best agricultural land in the trade area would be
suddenly and permanently lost by flooding. The town faced serious
social and economic readjustments.
Following preliminary studies, four possible alternatives for pro-
tection and readjustment of the town were considered jointly by
the townspeople and TVA: (1) purchase by the TVA of the entire
town of Big Sandy, (2) purchase by the TVA of the flooded portion
of the community, (3) partial protection of the town from flooding,
by means of a dike outside the community, or (4) complete protec-
tion of the town by diking. People in the town had sharp differences
of opinion regarding which alternative to adopt. Some were anxious
to take advantage of the opportunity to sell since Big Sandy had
experienced economic decline during recent years, and further de-
cline was anticipated. Others felt that there would be opportunities
for improvement, or wished to keep the town intact for non-
economic reasons. During the height of the controversy the town
had two mayors, representing the two dominant factions.
At this stage TVA requested the Agricultural Extension Service
to make a study to determine the loss in agricultural production
and the potential production possibilities on the remaining non-
flooded uplands. The study was made by taking a survey of farms
in the area, and through use of soil maps, type-of-farming maps,
contour maps, records on test-demonstration farms, and other rele-
vant data. Progress made on test-demonstration farms in the several
resource areas of the trade area during the past five to eight years
provided a basis for estimating potential argicultural development.
The study indicated that about 36 percent of the agricultural
production in the trade area would be lost immediately after flooding.
Potential production within ten years was estimated to be 95 per-
cent of production before flooding, provided farmers in general could
make adjustments at one-half the rate on representative test-demon-
stration farms. This appraisal, considerations of the social and physi-
cal adjustments which would be required, the relative costs to TVA,
TVA’s responsibility and moral obligations, and the wishes of the
people of the town were taken into account in selecting the alterna-
tive of complete protection of the town by diking. Except for
acquisition of a few tracts on the outskirts of the town for the dike
site, the town was left intact. Since this policy decision was partially
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