Dams and reservoirs of the Tennessee River
Encyclopedia
The Tennessee Valley Authority
operates the Tennessee River
system to provide a wide range of public benefits: year-round navigation, flood
damage reduction, affordable electricity
, improved water quality
and water supply, recreation, and economic growth.
The TVA established the stairway of nine dam
s and lock
s that turned the Tennessee River into a 652-mile-long river highway
. Dams and reservoir
s on the main stem of the river include the following (listed from the farthest upstream to the farthest downstream):
Tributary dams and reservoirs include:
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...
operates the 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...
system to provide a wide range of public benefits: year-round navigation, flood
Flood
A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land. The EU Floods directive defines a flood as a temporary covering by water of land not normally covered by water...
damage reduction, affordable electricity
Electricity
Electricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...
, improved water quality
Water quality
Water quality is the physical, chemical and biological characteristics of water. It is a measure of the condition of water relative to the requirements of one or more biotic species and or to any human need or purpose. It is most frequently used by reference to a set of standards against which...
and water supply, recreation, and economic growth.
The TVA established the stairway of nine dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
s and lock
Lock (water transport)
A lock is a device for raising and lowering boats between stretches of water of different levels on river and canal waterways. The distinguishing feature of a lock is a fixed chamber in which the water level can be varied; whereas in a caisson lock, a boat lift, or on a canal inclined plane, it is...
s that turned the Tennessee River into a 652-mile-long river highway
Waterway
A waterway is any navigable body of water. Waterways can include rivers, lakes, seas, oceans, and canals. In order for a waterway to be navigable, it must meet several criteria:...
. Dams and reservoir
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
s on the main stem of the river include the following (listed from the farthest upstream to the farthest downstream):
- Fort Loudoun DamFort Loudoun DamFort Loudoun Dam is a hydroelectric dam on the Tennessee River in Loudon County, Tennessee, in the southeastern United States. The dam is operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority , which built the dam in the early 1940s as part of a unified plan to provide electricity and flood control in the...
impounds Fort Loudoun LakeFort Loudoun LakeFort Loudoun Lake is a reservoir in east Tennessee on the upper Tennessee River, extending about along the river upstream from Fort Loudoun Dam, at Lenoir City, to Knoxville.... - Watts Bar DamWatts Bar DamWatts Bar Dam is a hydroelectric dam on the Tennessee River in Meigs County and Rhea County, Tennessee, USA. The dam is one of nine dams on the main Tennessee River channel operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority, which built the dam in early 1940s to provide flood control and electricity and...
impounds Watts Bar LakeWatts Bar LakeWatts Bar Lake is a reservoir on the Tennessee River created by Watts Bar Dam as part of the Tennessee Valley Authority system.-Geography:Located about midway between Chattanooga and Knoxville, the lake begins as the Tennessee River below Fort Loudon Dam in Lenoir City, Tennessee and stretches... - Chickamauga DamChickamauga DamChickamauga Dam is a hydroelectric dam on the Tennessee River in Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA. The dam is owned and operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority, which built the dam in the late 1930s as part of a New Deal era initiative to improve navigation and bring flood control and economic...
impounds Chickamauga LakeChickamauga LakeChickamauga Lake is a United States reservoir along the Tennessee River created when the Chickamauga Dam, as part of the Tennessee Valley Authority, was completed in 1940. The lake stretches from Watts Bar Dam at mile 529.9 to Chickamauga Dam at mile 471.0 making the lake 58.9 miles long... - Nickajack DamNickajack DamNickajack Dam is a hydroelectric dam in Marion County in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is one of nine dams on the Tennessee River owned and operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority, which built the dam in the mid-1960s to replace the outdated Hales Bar Dam upstream. The dam impounds the ...
impounds Nickajack LakeNickajack LakeNickajack Lake is the reservoir created by Nickajack Dam as part of the Tennessee Valley Authority. The lake stretches from Nickajack Dam to Chickamauga Dam, and runs along the shores of Chattanooga, TN... - Guntersville DamGuntersville DamGuntersville Dam is a hydroelectric dam on the Tennessee River in Marshall County, in the U.S. state of Alabama. It is one of nine dams on the river owned and operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority, which built the dam in the late 1930s as part of a New Deal era initiative to create a...
impounds Guntersville LakeGuntersville LakeGuntersville Lake is located in north Alabama between Bridgeport and Guntersville. Created by Guntersville Dam along the Tennessee River, it stretches 75 miles from Guntersville Dam to Nickajack Dam... - Wheeler DamWheeler DamWheeler Dam is a hydroelectric dam on the Tennessee River between Lauderdale County and Lawrence County in the U.S. state of Alabama. It is one of nine dams on the river owned and operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority, which built the dam in the mid-1930s as part of a New Deal-era initiative...
impounds Wheeler LakeWheeler LakeWheeler Lake is located in the northern part of the United States state of Alabama, between Rogersville and Huntsville. Created by Wheeler Dam along the Tennessee River, it stretches 60 miles from Wheeler Dam to Guntersville Dam... - Wilson DamWilson Dam (Alabama)Wilson Dam is a dam spanning the Tennessee River between Lauderdale County and Colbert County in the U.S. state of Alabama. It impounds Wilson Lake. It is one of nine Tennessee Valley Authority dams on the Tennessee River...
impounds Wilson LakeWilson Lake (Alabama)Wilson Lake is the reservoir created by Wilson Dam as part of the Tennessee Valley Authority. The lake stretches from Wilson Dam to Wheeler Dam.-See also:*Dams and reservoirs of the Tennessee River*List of Alabama dams and reservoirs... - Pickwick Landing DamPickwick Landing DamPickwick Landing Dam is a hydroelectric dam on the Tennessee River in Hardin County, in the U.S. state of Tennessee. The dam is one of nine dams on the river owned and operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority, which built the dam in the 1930s as part of a New Deal-era initiative to create a...
impounds Pickwick LakePickwick LakePickwick Lake is the reservoir created by Pickwick Landing Dam as part of the Tennessee Valley Authority. The lake stretches from Pickwick Landing Dam to Wilson Dam.... - Kentucky DamKentucky DamKentucky Dam is a hydroelectric dam on the Tennessee River on the county line between Livingston County and Marshall County in the U.S. state of Kentucky...
impounds Kentucky LakeKentucky LakeKentucky Lake is a major navigable reservoir along the Tennessee River in Kentucky and Tennessee. Created in 1944 by the Tennessee Valley Authority's impounding of the Tennessee River by Kentucky Dam, the lake is the largest artificial lake by surface area in the United States east of the...
Tributary dams and reservoirs include:
- Apalachia DamApalachia DamApalachia Dam is a hydroelectric dam on the Hiwassee River in Cherokee County, in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The dam is the lowermost of three dams on the river owned and operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority, which built the dam in the early 1940s to provide emergency power for...
on the Hiwassee RiverHiwassee RiverThe 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...
forms Apalachia Reservoir - Blue Ridge DamBlue Ridge DamBlue Ridge Dam is a hydroelectric dam on the Toccoa River in Fannin County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the uppermost of four dams on the Toccoa/Ocoee River owned and operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority...
dams the Toccoa River, forming Blue Ridge Reservoir - Boone DamBoone DamBoone Dam is a hydroelectric and flood control dam on the South Fork Holston River on the border between Sullivan County and Washington County in the U.S. state of Tennessee...
on the South Fork Holston River forms Boone ReservoirBoone LakeBoone Lake is a reservoir in Sullivan and Washington counties in northeastern Tennessee, formed by the impoundment of the South Fork Holston River behind Boone Dam.... - Chatuge DamChatuge DamChatuge 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...
dams the Hiwassee River to form Chatuge Reservoir - Cherokee DamCherokee DamCherokee Dam is a hydroelectric dam located on the Holston River in Grainger County and Jefferson County, Tennessee, in the southeastern United States. The dam is operated and maintained by the Tennessee Valley Authority, which built the dam in the early 1940s to help meet urgent demands for...
on the Holston RiverHolston RiverThe Holston River is a major river system of southwestern Virginia and east Tennessee. The three major forks of the Holston rise in southwestern Virginia and have their confluence near Kingsport, Tennessee. The North Fork flows southwest from Sharon Springs in Bland County, Virginia...
forms Cherokee ReservoirCherokee ReservoirCherokee Reservoir, also known as Cherokee Lake, is a reservoir in Tennessee formed by the impoundment of the Holston River behind Cherokee Dam.The reservoir has a surface area of about , a flood-storage capacity of , and nearly of shoreline... - Douglas DamDouglas DamDouglas Dam is a hydroelectric dam on the French Broad River in Sevier County, Tennessee, in the southeastern United States. The dam is operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority , which built the dam in record time in the early 1940s to meet emergency energy demands at the height of World War II...
on the French Broad RiverFrench Broad RiverThe French Broad River flows from near the village of Rosman in Transylvania County, North Carolina, into the state of Tennessee. Its confluence with the Holston River at Knoxville is the beginning of the Tennessee River....
impounds Douglas Lake - Elk River Dam on the Elk RiverElk River (Tennessee)The Elk River is a tributary of the Tennessee River in the U.S. states of Tennessee and Alabama. The river is about long altogther.-Hydrography:...
forms Woods Reservoir - Fontana DamFontana DamFontana Dam is a hydroelectric dam on the Little Tennessee River in Swain and Graham counties, North Carolina, USA. The dam is operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority, which built the dam in the early 1940s to accommodate the skyrocketing electricity demands in the Tennessee Valley at the...
on the Little Tennessee RiverLittle Tennessee RiverThe Little Tennessee River is a tributary of the Tennessee River, approximately 135 miles long, in the Appalachian Mountains in the southeastern United States.-Geography:...
impounds Fontana Lake - Fort Patrick Henry DamFort Patrick Henry DamFort Patrick Henry Dam is a hydroelectric dam on the South Fork Holston River within the city of Kingsport, in Sullivan County in the U.S. state of Tennessee...
on the South Fork Holston River impounds Fort Patrick Henry Reservoir - Hiwassee DamHiwassee DamHiwassee 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. ...
dams the Hiwassee River immediately above Apalachia Reservoir - Melton Hill DamMelton Hill DamMelton Hill Dam is a hydroelectric dam on the Clinch River just south of Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA. The dam is operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority, which built the dam in the early 1960s to extend the Tennessee Valley's continuous navigation channel up the Clinch as far as Clinton and to...
on the Clinch River forms Melton Hill Reservoir - Nolichucky DamNolichucky DamNolichucky Dam is a dam on the Nolichucky River near Greeneville, Tennessee, maintained by the Tennessee Valley Authority . The dam is located just over upstream from the mouth of the Nolichucky, and impounds Davy Crockett Lake, which extends upstream from the dam.The dam is a concrete gravity...
on the Nolichucky RiverNolichucky RiverThe Nolichucky River is a major stream draining the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina and east Tennessee. The river is long.-Hydrography:...
impounds Davy CrockettDavy CrockettDavid "Davy" Crockett was a celebrated 19th century American folk hero, frontiersman, soldier and politician. He is commonly referred to in popular culture by the epithet "King of the Wild Frontier". He represented Tennessee in the U.S...
Reservoir - Normandy Dam on the Duck RiverDuck River (Tennessee)The Duck River, long, is the longest river located entirely within the U.S. state of Tennessee. Free flowing for most of its length, the Duck River is home to over 50 species of freshwater mussels and 151 species of fish, making it one of the most biologically diverse rivers in North America.The...
impounds Normandy Reservoir - Norris DamNorris DamNorris Dam is a hydroelectric and flood control structure located on the Clinch River in Anderson County and Campbell County, Tennessee, USA. Its construction in the mid-1930s was the first major project for the Tennessee Valley Authority, which had been created in 1933 to bring economic...
on the Clinch RiverClinch RiverThe Clinch River rises in Southwest Virginia near Tazewell, Virginia and flows southwest through the Great Appalachian Valley, gathering various tributaries including the Powell River before joining the Tennessee River in East Tennessee.-Course:...
impounds Norris Lake - Nottely DamNottely DamNottely 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...
on the Nottely RiverNottely RiverThe Nottely River is a river in the United States. The river originates in the Blue Ridge Mountains in northern Georgia. The river flows for into the artificial Hiwassee Reservoir in North Carolina...
forms Lake NottelyLake NottelyLake Nottely is one of many reservoirs of the Tennessee Valley Authority. It is located entirely in Union County, Georgia in the United States. Formed in 1942 by the damming of the Nottely River, Nottely Reservoir extends 20 miles upstream to the town of Blairsville.Construction of Nottely Dam... - Ocoee Dam No. 1Ocoee Dam No. 1Ocoee Dam Number 1 is a hydroelectric dam on the Ocoee River in Polk County in the U.S. state of Tennessee. The dam impounds the Parksville Reservoir , and is the farthest downstream of four dams on the Toccoa/Ocoee River owned and operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority. Completed in 1911,...
on the Ocoee River impounds Parksville Reservoir - Ocoee Dam No. 2Ocoee Dam No. 2Ocoee Dam Number 2 is a hydroelectric dam on the Ocoee River in Polk County in the U.S. state of Tennessee. The dam impounds the Ocoee No. 2 Reservoir and is one of four dams on the Toccoa/Ocoee River owned and operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority. Ocoee Dam No...
on the Ocoee River impounds Ocoee Reservoir No. 2 - Ocoee Dam No. 3Ocoee Dam No. 3Ocoee Dam No. 3 is a hydroelectric dam on the Ocoee River in Polk County, in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is one of four dams on the Toccoa/Ocoee River owned and operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority, which built the dam in the early 1940s to meet emergency demands for electricity during...
on the Ocoee River impounds Ocoee Reservoir No. 3 - South Holston DamSouth Holston DamSouth Holston Dam is a hydroelectric and flood control dam on the South Fork Holston River in Sullivan County, in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the uppermost of three dams on the South Fork Holston owned and operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority, which built the dam in the 1940s as part...
dams the South Fork Holston River, forming South Holston ReservoirSouth Holston LakeSouth Holston Lake is located near the cities of Abingdon, Virginia and Bristol, Virginia / Bristol, Tennessee, and is a impoundment operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority . Much of the reservoir is in Tennessee, but the Virginia portion of the reservoir offers anglers more than of water... - Tellico DamTellico DamTellico Dam is a dam built by the Tennessee Valley Authority in Loudon County, Tennessee on the Little Tennessee River just above the main stem of the Tennessee River. It impounds the Tellico Reservoir....
on the Little Tennessee River forms Tellico Lake - Tims Ford Dam on the Elk RiverElk River (Tennessee)The Elk River is a tributary of the Tennessee River in the U.S. states of Tennessee and Alabama. The river is about long altogther.-Hydrography:...
impounds Tims Ford Reservoir - Watauga DamWatauga DamWatauga Dam is a hydroelectric and flood control dam on the Watauga River in Carter County, in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is owned and operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority, which built the dam in the 1940s as part of efforts to control flooding in the Tennessee River watershed...
on the Watauga RiverWatauga RiverThe Watauga River is a large stream of western North Carolina and East Tennessee. It is 60 miles long with its headwaters on the slopes of Grandfather Mountain and Peak Mountain in Watauga County, North Carolina.-Hydrography:...
impounds Watauga LakeWatauga LakeWatauga Lake, located southeast of Elizabethton, Tennessee, was created by the Tennessee Valley Authority with the completion of the TVA Watauga Dam and Reservoir.... - Wilbur DamWilbur DamWilbur Dam is a hydroelectric dam on the Watauga River in Carter County, in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is one of two dams on the river owned and operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority. The dam impounds Wilbur Lake, which extends for about up the Watauga to the base of Watauga Dam...
on the Watauga River impounds Wilbur Reservoir