Chatuge Dam
Encyclopedia
Chatuge Dam is a flood control and hydroelectric dam on the Hiwassee River
in Clay County
, in the U.S. state of North Carolina
. The dam is the uppermost of three dams on the river owned and operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority
, which built the dam in the early 1940s for flood storage and to provide flow regulation at Hiwassee Dam
further downstream. The dam impounds the 7000 acres (2,832.8 ha) Chatuge Lake
, which straddles the North Carolina-Georgia
state line. While originally built solely for flood storage, a generator installed at Chatuge in the 1950s gives the dam a small hydroelectric output.
Chatuge Dam is named for an 18th-century Cherokee
village once situated near the dam site.
, and the Georgia section of the reservoir is surrounded by the Chattahoochee National Forest. Hayesville, North Carolina
(north of the dam) and Hiawassee, Georgia
(to the south) are the nearest communities of note.
Water passes Chatuge Dam via the dam's intake tower (connected to the dam by a footbridge), from which a steel conduit carries the water under the dam and empties it downstream.
Various private entities recognized the hydroelectric potential of the Hiwassee in the early 1900s, although plans for dams were typically focused further downstream from the Chatuge site. After taking control of flood control operations in the valley in the 1930s, the Tennessee Valley Authority built Hiwassee Dam and carried out an extensive survey of the river (the waters of which were a major contributor to flooding in Chattanooga
) in which they identified the Chatuge site. The outbreak of World War II
in Europe brought an emergency demand for electricity, mainly to power aluminum production in East Tennessee, and TVA offered to meet this demand by building a series of dams on the Hiwassee and several other Tennessee River
tributaries. The Chatuge Dam project (originally called the Hayesville project), along with several other dam projects, was authorized July 16, 1941. Work on the dam began the following day.
The construction of Chatuge Dam and its reservoir required the purchase of 11641 acres (4,710.9 ha) of land, 1904 acres (770.5 ha) of which had to be cleared. 278 families, 532 graves, and 40 miles (64.4 km) of roads (including part of U.S. Route 64
) had to be relocated. TVA kept the dam's design simple and relied on basic building materials (i.e., earth and rock) in order to complete the dam as quickly as possible in hopes of allowing the reservoir to collect the 1941-1942 winter rains. The dam was constructed of impervious earthen fill fortified on both sides by riprap
. The spillway was the only major part of the dam that required concrete. Since the reservoir would fill slowly and create mosquito
-breeding environments, various measures were taken to prevent malaria
outbreaks.
Chatuge Dam was completed and its gates closed on February 12, 1942. The cost of the whole project was just over $9 million. For most of its early years, Chatuge was operated as a flood storage unit in conjunction with nearby Nottely Dam
(which has an almost identical design) to regulate water flow at Hiwassee Dam 45 miles (72.4 km) downstream. A small generator was installed at Chatuge in 1954.
Hiwassee River
The Hiwassee River has its headwaters on the north slope of Rocky Mountain in Towns County in northern Georgia and flows northward into North Carolina before turning westward into Tennessee, flowing into the Tennessee River a few miles west of State Route 58 in Meigs County, Tennessee...
in Clay County
Clay County, North Carolina
-Communities and Townships:Hayesville, with a 2000 population of 297, is the only incorporated town in the county, the county seat, and center of economic activity for Clay County...
, in the U.S. state of North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
. The dam is the uppermost of three dams on the river owned and operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority
Tennessee Valley Authority
The Tennessee Valley Authority is a federally owned corporation in the United States created by congressional charter in May 1933 to provide navigation, flood control, electricity generation, fertilizer manufacturing, and economic development in the Tennessee Valley, a region particularly affected...
, which built the dam in the early 1940s for flood storage and to provide flow regulation at Hiwassee Dam
Hiwassee Dam
Hiwassee Dam is a hydroelectric dam on the Hiwassee River in Cherokee County, in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is one of three dams on the river owned and operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority, which built the dam in the late 1930s to bring flood control and electricity to the region. ...
further downstream. The dam impounds the 7000 acres (2,832.8 ha) Chatuge Lake
Chatuge Lake
Lake Chatuge is a man-made reservoir created by the Chatuge Dam which finished construction in 1942. -See Also:List of dams and reservoirs in the United States...
, which straddles the North Carolina-Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
state line. While originally built solely for flood storage, a generator installed at Chatuge in the 1950s gives the dam a small hydroelectric output.
Chatuge Dam is named for an 18th-century Cherokee
Cherokee
The Cherokee are a Native American people historically settled in the Southeastern United States . Linguistically, they are part of the Iroquoian language family...
village once situated near the dam site.
Location
Chatuge Dam is located 121 miles (194.7 km) above the mouth of the Hiwassee River, just north of the North Carolina-Georgia state line. Chatuge Lake extends southward for 13 miles (20.9 km) along the Hiwassee and eastward for roughly 6 miles (9.7 km) along Shooting Creek, which once emptied into the Hiwassee immediately upstream from the dam site. The dam and the North Carolina section of the reservoir are surrounded by the Nantahala National ForestNantahala National Forest
The Nantahala National Forest, established in 1920, is a national forest located in the American state of North Carolina. The word "Nantahala" is a Cherokee word meaning "Land of the Noonday Sun." The name is appropriate as, in some spots, the sun only reaches the floors of the deep gorges of the...
, and the Georgia section of the reservoir is surrounded by the Chattahoochee National Forest. Hayesville, North Carolina
Hayesville, North Carolina
Hayesville is a town in Clay County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 297 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Clay County.-Geography:Hayesville is located at ....
(north of the dam) and Hiawassee, Georgia
Hiawassee, Georgia
Hiawassee is a town in and the county seat of Towns County, Georgia, United States. The population was 810 at the 2000 census. Its name comes from the Cherokee word Ayuhwasi, which means a meadow.-Geography:...
(to the south) are the nearest communities of note.
Capacity
Chatuge Dam is an earth-and-rock dam 144 feet (43.9 m) high and 2850 feet (868.7 m) long, and has a generating capacity of 10,000 kilowatts. The dam's concrete overflow "ski-jump" spillway consists of 50 bays with a combined discharge of 11500 cuft/s. Chatuge Lake has a flood storage capacity of 62619 acre.ft and 132 miles (212.4 km) of shoreline.Water passes Chatuge Dam via the dam's intake tower (connected to the dam by a footbridge), from which a steel conduit carries the water under the dam and empties it downstream.
Background and construction
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Chattanooga is the fourth-largest city in the US state of Tennessee , with a population of 169,887. It is the seat of Hamilton County...
) in which they identified the Chatuge site. The outbreak of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
in Europe brought an emergency demand for electricity, mainly to power aluminum production in East Tennessee, and TVA offered to meet this demand by building a series of dams on the Hiwassee and several other Tennessee River
Tennessee River
The Tennessee River is the largest tributary of the Ohio River. It is approximately 652 miles long and is located in the southeastern United States in the Tennessee Valley. The river was once popularly known as the Cherokee River, among other names...
tributaries. The Chatuge Dam project (originally called the Hayesville project), along with several other dam projects, was authorized July 16, 1941. Work on the dam began the following day.
U.S. Route 64
U.S. Route 64 is an east–west United States highway that runs for 2,326 miles from eastern North Carolina to just southwest of the Four Corners in northeast Arizona. The western terminus is at U.S. Route 160 in Teec Nos Pos, Arizona. The highway's eastern terminus is at NC 12 and U.S. Route...
) had to be relocated. TVA kept the dam's design simple and relied on basic building materials (i.e., earth and rock) in order to complete the dam as quickly as possible in hopes of allowing the reservoir to collect the 1941-1942 winter rains. The dam was constructed of impervious earthen fill fortified on both sides by riprap
Riprap
Riprap — also known as rip rap, rubble, shot rock or rock armour or "Rip-rap" — is rock or other material used to armor shorelines, streambeds, bridge abutments, pilings and other shoreline structures against scour, water or ice erosion.It is made from a variety of rock types, commonly granite or...
. The spillway was the only major part of the dam that required concrete. Since the reservoir would fill slowly and create mosquito
Mosquito
Mosquitoes are members of a family of nematocerid flies: the Culicidae . The word Mosquito is from the Spanish and Portuguese for little fly...
-breeding environments, various measures were taken to prevent malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
outbreaks.
Chatuge Dam was completed and its gates closed on February 12, 1942. The cost of the whole project was just over $9 million. For most of its early years, Chatuge was operated as a flood storage unit in conjunction with nearby Nottely Dam
Nottely Dam
Nottely Dam is a hydroelectric and flood storage dam on the Nottely River in Union County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. The dam is owned and operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority, which built the dam in the early 1940s as a flood control structure and to help regulate flow at nearby Hiwassee...
(which has an almost identical design) to regulate water flow at Hiwassee Dam 45 miles (72.4 km) downstream. A small generator was installed at Chatuge in 1954.
External links
- Chatuge Reservoir — official TVA site