Tellico Reservoir
Encyclopedia
Tellico Reservoir, also known as Tellico Lake, is a reservoir
in Tennessee, created by the Tennessee Valley Authority
(TVA) in 1979 upon the completion of Tellico Dam
. The dam impounds the Little Tennessee River
and the lower Tellico River
. While TVA is careful to refer to its artificial lakes as reservoirs (such as "Tellico Reservoir"), common usage tends to refer to the reservoir as "Tellico Lake". The lake is approximately 16,000 acres in surface area and provides 357 miles of shoreline.
Tellico Reservoir was the last major reservoir created by the TVA, in part due to the snail darter controversy
. The completion of Tellico Dam was nearly halted by a landmark decision by the Supreme Court
regarding the Endangered Species Act
. After Congress specifically exempted Tellico Dam from the Endangered Species Act, the work was finished and Tellico Reservoir created.
The Tellico Reservoir inundated several Native American
sites, including the historically significant sites of Chota
and Tanasi
. The controversial Bat Creek inscription
was also discovered adjacent to this lake.
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...
in Tennessee, created 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...
(TVA) in 1979 upon the completion of Tellico Dam
Tellico Dam
Tellico 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....
. The dam impounds the Little Tennessee River
Little Tennessee River
The Little Tennessee River is a tributary of the Tennessee River, approximately 135 miles long, in the Appalachian Mountains in the southeastern United States.-Geography:...
and the lower Tellico River
Tellico River
The Tellico River rises in the westernmost mountains of North Carolina, but it flows mainly through Monroe County, Tennessee. It is a major tributary of the Little Tennessee River and the namesake of Tellico Reservoir, a reservoir created by Tellico Dam, which impounds the lower reaches of the...
. While TVA is careful to refer to its artificial lakes as reservoirs (such as "Tellico Reservoir"), common usage tends to refer to the reservoir as "Tellico Lake". The lake is approximately 16,000 acres in surface area and provides 357 miles of shoreline.
Tellico Reservoir was the last major reservoir created by the TVA, in part due to the snail darter controversy
Snail darter controversy
The snail darter controversy involved the delay of the construction of the Tellico Dam on the Little Tennessee River in 1973. On August 12, 1973, University of Tennessee biologist and professor David Etnier discovered the snail darter in the Little Tennessee River while doing research related to a...
. The completion of Tellico Dam was nearly halted by a landmark decision by the Supreme Court
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
regarding the Endangered Species Act
Endangered Species Act
The Endangered Species Act of 1973 is one of the dozens of United States environmental laws passed in the 1970s. Signed into law by President Richard Nixon on December 28, 1973, it was designed to protect critically imperiled species from extinction as a "consequence of economic growth and...
. After Congress specifically exempted Tellico Dam from the Endangered Species Act, the work was finished and Tellico Reservoir created.
The Tellico Reservoir inundated several Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
sites, including the historically significant sites of Chota
Chota (Cherokee town)
Chota is a historic Overhill Cherokee site in Monroe County, Tennessee, in the southeastern United States. For much of its history, Chota was the most important of the Overhill towns, serving as the de facto capital of the Cherokee people from the late 1740s until 1788...
and Tanasi
Tanasi
Tanasi is a historic Overhill Cherokee village site in Monroe County, Tennessee, in the southeastern United States. The village is best known as the namesake for the state of Tennessee...
. The controversial Bat Creek inscription
Bat Creek inscription
The Bat Creek inscription is an inscription carved on a stone allegedly found in a Native American burial mound in Loudon County, in the U.S. state of Tennessee, in 1889...
was also discovered adjacent to this lake.
External links
- Tellico Reservoir, Tennessee Valley Authority website