Which program is primarily associated with rural electrification and flood control in the Tennessee Valley?

• A. Tennessee Valley Authority
• B. Civilian Conservation Corps
• C. Public Works Administration
• D. Works Progress Administration

Answer: (A)

Rural electrification and flood control in the Tennessee Valley were addressed together by a regional program created during the New Deal to transform a large watershed. The Tennessee Valley Authority was established in 1933 to tame the Tennessee River basin, reduce flood damage, and bring affordable power to rural communities. It built dams and hydroelectric facilities along the river and its tributaries, providing reliable electricity to farms, homes, and small towns and spurring economic development in a previously underdeveloped area. This focus on both flood control and rural electrification in a specific region is what makes TVA the program most closely associated with those goals. The Civilian Conservation Corps concentrated on conservation and employment, the Public Works Administration funded various large public works, and the Works Progress Administration carried out a wide range of projects, but none tied to rural electrification and flood control in the Tennessee Valley as directly as TVA.