 The
Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway Development Authority was authorized by the U.S.Congress in
1958 as an interstate compact, consisting of the States of Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi,
and Tennessee. Florida was also a member from 1967 to 1990. The Authority serves as the
regional sponsor of the Tenn-Tom and addresses both growth opportunities as well as
potential impediments to the waterway's public benefits. The chairmanship of the compact
rotates annually among the four governors. Each governor appoints five citizens to represent his state's interests in
the activities of the Authority.
This
regional agency played a key role in garnering the necessary grassroots and political
support to get the project built. It worked very closely with federal
agencies and the U.S.Congress during the waterway's 12 years of construction. Since completion of the
waterway, the Authority now devotes its resources toward promoting the development of the waterway
and its economic and trade potential. |
