Nottely Dam
Encyclopedia
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 Dam
. The dam impounds the Lake Nottely
of 4180 acres (16.9 km²). While the dam was built primarily for flood storage, a generator was installed at Nottely in the 1950s, giving it a small hydroelectric output.
Nottely Dam was named for the Nottely River. The river itself was named after the Cherokee
village of Naduhli, which was once situated along its banks. The village name is derived from Native American word for "daring horseman."
county line, flows northward across Union County before crossing into North Carolina
en route to its mouth along the Hiwassee River
. Nottely Dam is located 21 miles (33.8 km) upstream from the Nottely's mouth, just south of the Georgia-North Carolina state line. Nottely Lake stretches southward for 20 miles (32.2 km) along the Nottely to Blairsville, Georgia
. Both the dam and reservoir are surrounded by the Chattahoochee National Forest.
Before the completion of Nottely Dam, the upper Nottely River was a rugged gorge with several excellent potential sites for a hydroelectric dam. Several private entities—most notably the Southern States Power Company and Union Power Company—had bought up land along the river for future dam projects, but nothing ever materialized. After its creation in 1933, the Tennessee Valley Authority conducted an extensive survey of the Hiwassee watershed—which had been determined to be a major contributor to flooding in Chattanooga
—and in 1940 completed Hiwassee Dam (a few miles downstream from the mouth of the Nottely). The outbreak of World War II
in Europe in 1941 brought an emergency demand for electricity, which was needed to power aluminum production operations in East Tennessee. Nottely Dam (identified as the "Thompson Canyon site" in early reports), along with several other dam projects in the area, was authorized July 16, 1941. Work on the dam began the following day.
The construction of Nottely Dam required the purchase of 7984 acres (32.3 km²) of land (most of it from Southern States Power and Union Power), 2485 acres (10.1 km²) of which had to be cleared. 91 families and 21 miles (33.8 km) of roads had to be relocated. The dam was initially built solely for flood storage, but was designed so that a generator could easily be added should the need for one arise. The dam was formed by building a rock and stone "crib" and lining the middle with earthen fill. The dam was built as quickly as possible in hopes of allowing its reservoir ample time to fill during the rainy winter months. The speed of its construction was aided by the use of rock-and-fill rather than concrete (the spillway was the only major section that required concrete) and the dam's relatively simple design, which was also employed at nearby Chatuge Dam
. Since Nottely's reservoir would fill slowly and create mosquito
-breeding environments, various precautions were taken to prevent malaria
outbreaks.
Nottely Dam was completed and its gates closed January 24, 1942. The project's final cost was just over $8 million. Throughout its early years, Nottely Dam was operated in conjunction with Hiwassee Dam and Chatuge Dam to allow maximum hydroelectric production at Hiwassee Dam. Nottely was outfitted with its own generator in the 1950s.
Nottely River
The 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...
in Union County
Union County, Georgia
Union County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2000, the population was 17,289. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 20,968. The county seat is Blairsville.Its Sole commissioner is Lamar Paris, who has served since 2001....
, in the U.S. state of 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...
. The dam is 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 as a flood control structure and to help regulate flow at nearby 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. ...
. The dam impounds the Lake Nottely
Lake Nottely
Lake 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...
of 4180 acres (16.9 km²). While the dam was built primarily for flood storage, a generator was installed at Nottely in the 1950s, giving it a small hydroelectric output.
Nottely Dam was named for the Nottely River. The river itself was named after the 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 of Naduhli, which was once situated along its banks. The village name is derived from Native American word for "daring horseman."
Location
The Nottely River, which rises near the Union-LumpkinLumpkin County, Georgia
Lumpkin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 29,966. Its county seat is Dahlonega.- History :...
county line, flows northward across Union County before crossing into 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...
en route to its mouth along the Hiwassee River
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...
. Nottely Dam is located 21 miles (33.8 km) upstream from the Nottely's mouth, just south of the Georgia-North Carolina state line. Nottely Lake stretches southward for 20 miles (32.2 km) along the Nottely to Blairsville, Georgia
Blairsville, Georgia
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 659 people, 226 households, and 101 families residing in the city. The population density was 619.7 people per square mile . There were 261 housing units at an average density of 245.4 per square mile...
. Both the dam and reservoir are surrounded by the Chattahoochee National Forest.
Capacity
Nottely Dam is an earth-and-rock dam 184 feet (56.1 m) high and 2300 feet (701 m) long. The dam's spillway is a concrete overflow "ski-jump" type situated adjacent to the dam and has a maximum discharge of 11500 cuft/s. The dam utilizes a concrete intake tower (connected via footbridge to the mainland), where water is diverted into a tunnel and carried downstream. The lone generator at Nottely has a generating capacity of 15,000 kilowatts. Nottely Lake has a flood storage capacity of 61588 acre.ft, 4180 acres (16.9 km²) of water surface, and 106 miles (170.6 km) of shoreline.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...
—and in 1940 completed Hiwassee Dam (a few miles downstream from the mouth of the Nottely). 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 in 1941 brought an emergency demand for electricity, which was needed to power aluminum production operations in East Tennessee. Nottely Dam (identified as the "Thompson Canyon site" in early reports), along with several other dam projects in the area, was authorized July 16, 1941. Work on the dam began the following day.
The construction of Nottely Dam required the purchase of 7984 acres (32.3 km²) of land (most of it from Southern States Power and Union Power), 2485 acres (10.1 km²) of which had to be cleared. 91 families and 21 miles (33.8 km) of roads had to be relocated. The dam was initially built solely for flood storage, but was designed so that a generator could easily be added should the need for one arise. The dam was formed by building a rock and stone "crib" and lining the middle with earthen fill. The dam was built as quickly as possible in hopes of allowing its reservoir ample time to fill during the rainy winter months. The speed of its construction was aided by the use of rock-and-fill rather than concrete (the spillway was the only major section that required concrete) and the dam's relatively simple design, which was also employed at nearby Chatuge Dam
Chatuge Dam
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...
. Since Nottely's 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 precautions 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.
Nottely Dam was completed and its gates closed January 24, 1942. The project's final cost was just over $8 million. Throughout its early years, Nottely Dam was operated in conjunction with Hiwassee Dam and Chatuge Dam to allow maximum hydroelectric production at Hiwassee Dam. Nottely was outfitted with its own generator in the 1950s.
External links
- Nottely Reservoir — official TVA site