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{{Short description|
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2013}}
[[
[[Image:Tenn-tom.gif|thumb|The locks and dams (L&D) along the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway]]
The '''Tennessee–Tombigbee Waterway''' (popularly known as the '''Tenn-Tom''') is a {{convert|234|mi|adj=on}}
The locks are {{convert|9|×|110|×|600|ft|m}}, the same dimension as those on the [[Mississippi River|Mississippi]] above Lock and Dam 26 at [[Alton, Illinois]].<ref name=TuscaloosaNews2005-01-09>
{{cite news
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The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began work on the project in 1972. During the construction process, land excavation reached about {{convert|175|ft|m}} in depth and required the excavation of nearly 310 million cubic yards of soil (the equivalent of more than 100 million dump truck loads). The project was completed on December 12, 1984, nearly two years ahead of schedule.<ref>Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway Development Authority.</ref>
==Political
The $2 billion in required funding for the Tenn-Tom waterway was repeatedly attacked by elected representatives and political organizations. Opponents asserted that the estimated economic benefits of the waterway by the Corps of Engineers were unsupportable based on projected traffic volume. By 1977, the Tenn-Tom was one of many such Corps of Engineers projects that had been initiated in the belief that they would directly or indirectly return to the Treasury their cost(s) of construction.
Immediately after his election in 1976, Democratic President [[Jimmy Carter]] announced a plan to slash Tenn-Tom federal funding, as part of broader reductions in federal spending. Carter, and the economic advisors recruited to his administration, objected to the "waste" of taxpayer dollars on "[[pork-barrel]] projects".<ref name="RufusWard1" /> But, after more than 6,500 waterway supporters attended a public hearing held in [[Columbus, Mississippi]], as part of Carter's review of the proposed waterway, the President withdrew his opposition.<ref name="RufusWard1" />
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For construction of the Divide Cut, the entire town of [[Holcut, Mississippi]], had to be removed and demolished. Today, the Holcut Memorial lies alongside the waterway on the previous site of the town.
===Nuclear excavation study===
The Divide Cut was investigated as a candidate for the use of nuclear explosives as part of [[Project Plowshare]]. Three routes were considered, including the Yellow Creek route that was eventually chosen for the conventional excavation. The Bear Creek route was considered best for nuclear explosives, as it was rocky and more likely to be stable following blasts. The nuclear excavation proposal for Bear Creek envisioned 81 nuclear devices ranging from 10 to 50 [[kiloton]]s, with a total explosive yield of 1.9 megatons. A cost analysis indicated that nuclear explosives would increase costs from 31 to 73 percent over conventional excavation on the Yellow Creek route. Two safety analyses recommended that the project not be pursued. The studies projected severe damage to nearby communities from air blast, seismic motion, groundwater contamination, and fallout. No further study was undertaken, and conventional excavation was pursued.<ref name="beck et al 2011">{{Cite report |url=http://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1046575/ |title=The Off-Site Plowshare and Vela Uniform Programs: Assessing Potential Environmental Liabilities through an Examination of Proposed Nuclear Projects, High Explosive Experiments, and High Explosive Construction Activities |last=Beck |first=Colleen M. |last2=Edwards |first2=Susan R. |last3=King |first3=Maureen L. |date=2011-09-01 |issue=Tech Rpt 111 DOE/NV/26383-22, 1046575 |doi=10.2172/1046575 |volume=2 |language=en|section=Project Ketch|pages=4-229–4-230}}</ref>
==Locks and dams==
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[[Category:Canals in Alabama]]
[[Category:Canals in Mississippi]]
[[Category:Mississippi placenames of Native American origin]]
[[Category:Alabama placenames of Native American origin]]
[[Category:Proposed Project Plowshare projects]]
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