Cherokee Dam
Encyclopedia
Cherokee 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 energy at the outbreak of World War II
. Cherokee Dam is 175 feet (53.3 m) high and impounds the 28780 acres (11,646.9 ha) Cherokee Reservoir
. It has a generating capacity of 135,200 kilowatts. The dam was named for the Cherokee
, a Native American
tribe that controlled much of East Tennessee when the first European settlers arrived in the mid-18th century.
, from which the river proceeds southwestward for just over 140 miles (225.3 km) across northeastern Tennessee before joining with the French Broad River
in Knoxville
to form the Tennessee River
. Cherokee Dam is located approximately 52 miles (83.7 km) upstream from the Holston's mouth. The dam was built immediately downstream from a point where Mossy Creek, which flows northeastward from Jefferson City
, joins the Holston to create a T-shaped formation. The dam's immediate headwaters and tailwaters still resemble this formation.
Cherokee Reservoir (commonly called Cherokee Lake) stretches for 59 miles (95 km) from the dam to the John Sevier Fossil Plant just south of Rogersville, Tennessee
, and includes parts of Jefferson, Grainger, Hamblen, and Hawkins
counties. The reservoir's Mossy Creek embayment reaches all the way to the city limits of Jefferson City. Tennessee State Highway 92 crosses the Holston just downstream from the dam.
In 1940, with World War II raging across Europe, the United States government saw an urgent need to strengthen its military and defense infrastructure. This required a massive expansion of aluminum production facilities, many of which were located in the Tennessee Valley. To provide the necessary electricity, the Tennessee Valley Authority submitted a proposal for the construction of a new dam on the Holston River (the site— known as the "Mossy Creek site"— had already been selected and preliminary plans had been drawn up), the construction of a new coal plant (Watts Bar Fossil Plant, which operated 1942-1982) and for the expansion of the generating capacity of the existing Wilson and Pickwick Landing
dams to Congress in July 1940 (the measure was later expanded to include construction of Douglas Dam
, Fontana Dam
, and several dams along the Hiwassee
and Ocoee rivers). Congress approved funds for the measure within a few days and President Franklin D. Roosevelt
signed the measure into law on July 1, 1940. Construction on Cherokee Dam began the following day.
The Cherokee project required the purchase of 45158 acres (18,274.8 ha) of land, nearly 6000 acres (2,428.1 ha) of which were wooded and required clearing. The project also required the relocation of 875 families, 51 cemeteries, and a historical tavern at Bean Station
(which was the only major community that was flooded). The water supplies of Jefferson City and Morristown
had to be modified, and 99 miles (159.3 km) of roadway had to be redirected. Fourteen new bridges were constructed and five existing bridges were raised above reservoir operating levels. Three earthen saddle dams, with a combined length of 1770 feet (539.5 m), were constructed to fill gaps in the ridge immediately south of the main dam. As Congress eliminated a number bureaucratic obstacles regarding delivery of materials, construction proceeded at a smooth and rapid pace. On December 5, 1941, construction was completed, the gates were closed, and the reservoir began to fill. Power generation began on April 16, 1942, less than two years after the dam was first proposed.
While Cherokee's primary purpose is hydroelectric power production, like other TVA dams it also helps control flooding, which was rampant in the Tennessee Valley before the 1930s. Numerous recreational areas exist along Cherokee Reservoir, including Panther Creek State Park
, several smaller parks, and 20 public boat launches. The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency
regularly stocks the lake with walleye
, crappie
, and hybrid striped bass
for recreational fishing.
Holston River
The 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...
in Grainger County and Jefferson County, Tennessee
Jefferson County, Tennessee
*...
, in the southeastern United States. The dam is operated and maintained 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 to help meet urgent demands for energy at 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...
. Cherokee Dam is 175 feet (53.3 m) high and impounds the 28780 acres (11,646.9 ha) Cherokee Reservoir
Cherokee Reservoir
Cherokee 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...
. It has a generating capacity of 135,200 kilowatts. The dam was named for 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...
, a 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...
tribe that controlled much of East Tennessee when the first European settlers arrived in the mid-18th century.
Location
The South Fork and North Fork of the Holston River merge to form the Holston River proper in Kingsport, TennesseeKingsport, Tennessee
Kingsport is a city located mainly in Sullivan County with some western portions in Hawkins County in the US state of Tennessee. The majority of the city lies in Sullivan County...
, from which the river proceeds southwestward for just over 140 miles (225.3 km) across northeastern Tennessee before joining with the French Broad River
French Broad River
The 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....
in Knoxville
Knoxville, Tennessee
Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...
to form 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...
. Cherokee Dam is located approximately 52 miles (83.7 km) upstream from the Holston's mouth. The dam was built immediately downstream from a point where Mossy Creek, which flows northeastward from Jefferson City
Jefferson City, Tennessee
Jefferson City is a city in Jefferson County, Tennessee, United States. It is part of the Morristown, Tennessee Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 7,760 at the 2000 census. The city was originally named Mossy Creek, but was changed in 1901 to honor Thomas Jefferson...
, joins the Holston to create a T-shaped formation. The dam's immediate headwaters and tailwaters still resemble this formation.
Cherokee Reservoir (commonly called Cherokee Lake) stretches for 59 miles (95 km) from the dam to the John Sevier Fossil Plant just south of Rogersville, Tennessee
Rogersville, Tennessee
Rogersville is a town in Hawkins County, Tennessee, United States. It was settled in 1775 by the grandparents of Davy Crockett and is the second-oldest town in the state. It is named for its founder, Joseph Rogers....
, and includes parts of Jefferson, Grainger, Hamblen, and Hawkins
Hawkins County, Tennessee
Hawkins County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of 2010, the population was 56,833. Its county seat is Rogersville, Tennessee's second-oldest town....
counties. The reservoir's Mossy Creek embayment reaches all the way to the city limits of Jefferson City. Tennessee State Highway 92 crosses the Holston just downstream from the dam.
Background and construction
Pickwick Landing Dam
Pickwick 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...
dams to Congress in July 1940 (the measure was later expanded to include construction of Douglas Dam
Douglas Dam
Douglas 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...
, Fontana Dam
Fontana Dam
Fontana 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...
, and several dams along the Hiwassee
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...
and Ocoee rivers). Congress approved funds for the measure within a few days and President Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
signed the measure into law on July 1, 1940. Construction on Cherokee Dam began the following day.
The Cherokee project required the purchase of 45158 acres (18,274.8 ha) of land, nearly 6000 acres (2,428.1 ha) of which were wooded and required clearing. The project also required the relocation of 875 families, 51 cemeteries, and a historical tavern at Bean Station
Bean Station, Tennessee
Bean Station is a city in Grainger County, Tennessee, United States. It is part of the Morristown, Tennessee Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city was incorporated in November 1996...
(which was the only major community that was flooded). The water supplies of Jefferson City and Morristown
Morristown, Tennessee
Morristown is a city in, and the county seat of, Hamblen County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 29,137 at the 2010 United States Census. It is the principal city of the Morristown, Tennessee Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Grainger, Hamblen and Jefferson counties...
had to be modified, and 99 miles (159.3 km) of roadway had to be redirected. Fourteen new bridges were constructed and five existing bridges were raised above reservoir operating levels. Three earthen saddle dams, with a combined length of 1770 feet (539.5 m), were constructed to fill gaps in the ridge immediately south of the main dam. As Congress eliminated a number bureaucratic obstacles regarding delivery of materials, construction proceeded at a smooth and rapid pace. On December 5, 1941, construction was completed, the gates were closed, and the reservoir began to fill. Power generation began on April 16, 1942, less than two years after the dam was first proposed.
Operation and output
Cherokee Dam is a gravity-type concrete spillway dam consisting of nine crest gates and eight sluice gates (the latter allowing reservoir control when water level is low). The combined capacity of the dam's four hydroelectric generators is 135,200 kilowatts. Cherokee Reservoir has a flood-storage capacity of 749406 acre.ft. The reservoir operates up to an elevation of 1075 feet (327.7 m), and varies by 27 feet (8.2 m) in a typical year. The dam lacks navigational locks, although its design allows them to be added if the necessity for them should arise.While Cherokee's primary purpose is hydroelectric power production, like other TVA dams it also helps control flooding, which was rampant in the Tennessee Valley before the 1930s. Numerous recreational areas exist along Cherokee Reservoir, including Panther Creek State Park
Panther Creek State Park
Panther Creek State Park is a Tennessee state park northwest of Morristown, on the shore of Cherokee Reservoir, an impoundment of the Holston River.The park has an area of approximately .-External links:...
, several smaller parks, and 20 public boat launches. The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency
Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency
The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency is an independent state agency of the state of Tennessee with the mission of managing the state's fish and wildlife and their habitats, as well as responsibility for all wildlife-related law enforcement activities...
regularly stocks the lake with walleye
Walleye
Walleye is a freshwater perciform fish native to most of Canada and to the northern United States. It is a North American close relative of the European pikeperch...
, crappie
Crappie
Crappie is a genus of freshwater fish in the sunfish family of order Perciformes. The type species is P. annularis, the white crappie...
, and hybrid striped bass
Hybrid striped bass
A hybrid striped bass, also known as a wiper or whiterock bass, is a hybrid between the striped bass and the white bass . It can be distinguished from the striped bass by broken rather than solid horizontal stripes on the body...
for recreational fishing.
External links
- Cherokee Reservoir — official TVA site
- Cherokee Lake — Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency Cherokee Reservoir information