GIS Analysis of Impacts of TVA Dams on Upstream Residential Property Values in Eastern Tennessee

As cost benefit analyses are conducted by agencies such as the USACE and Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), potential decline in upstream property value due to a large dam failure or removal should be addressed. The data used in this research include TVA owned and operated dam structures obtained from the USACE National Inventory of Dams (USACE NID), assessed property GIS parcel data from Blount County, Tennessee, and Median Household Values from the 2010 US Census. Analysis of the Median Household Value and USACE NID data indicate there is not a significant correlation between the lake storage capacity and median household value. Spatial analysis of the county-level land parcel data was conducted to determine impacts of reservoir depletion on upstream residential property values and potential usage within a future cost-benefit analysis for a dam structure’s removal or mitigation. Results show that properties within the studied buffer areas will become greater in distance from the water once a dam removal or failure resulted in depletion of the lake. This increased distance results in decline in overall property value, average property value, and decreased county property tax revenue.