Interview with Ben Jaco, October 31, 2017

Interview Summary

Ben Jaco, a former employee of the TVA, begins the interview by detailing how he was hired at TVA. The working relationships between the TVA and the state-level game and fish agencies are examined. Issues and technology in the fishing industry in the mid-1950s (when Jaco began his career) are also mentioned. Additionally, Jaco talks of his time spent in the Land Wildlife division of the TVA. The interviewee then gives an overview of his career at TVA and describes the TVA's expansion following an investment in nuclear energy. TVA's role in creating coal plants is also detailed. TVA's attempts at breaking into the nuclear energy sector are further commented upon. How TVA was impacted by federal environmental legislation such as the Clean Water Act is considered. Technological changes and changes to the river system throughout Jaco's career are examined. Jaco's perspective on the snail darter controversy is revealed. Following this, issues in the Land Wildlife Division of the TVA are discussed. The stellar reputation of the TVA as a model of efficiency outside of the U.S. is explored. The interviewee describes how the American Fisheries Society expanded to Canada and Mexico. Jaco's assistance with fishery inventions are detailed. Jaco also weighs his accomplishments as a TVA employee. The freshwater mussel monitoring project of TVA is also mentioned. Aquatic vegetation control efforts are then explored, followed by experiments with cold water tilapia. Jaco concludes the interview by outlining some final and important problems that TVA faced throughout his career.

Interview Keyword

Gaming and Fish Division Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Coal plants Clean Water Act Snail darter controversy Land Wildlife Division Mussels Fresh water fisheries Fisheries management

Interview LC Subject

Nuclear energy State governments North America American Fisheries Society Tennessee Valley Authority Fisheries Fishing Nuclear power plants Water Technologies Rivers Inventions Change Triana (Ala. : Town) Aquatic ecology.

Interview Rights

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Interview Usage

Interviews may only be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries.