When the TVA first asked Congress for the funds to construct Douglas Dam in late 1941, U.S. Senator Kenneth McKellar (D-Tennessee) opposed the project because it would flood some  of fertile farmland important to the local food canning industry.
When the TVA sought funds from Congress in late 1941 to construct Douglas Dam, U.S. Senator Kenneth McKellar (D-Tennessee) opposed the project due to its potential to flood some agriculturally significant farmland that supported the local food canning industry.