How big is the Norris Dam?
The dam is 265 feet high and stretches 1,860 feet across the Clinch River. Norris Dam is a hydroelectric facility. It has two generating units with a summer net dependable capacity of 126 megawatts. Net dependable capacity is the amount of power a dam can produce on an average day, minus the electricity used by the dam itself.
Is the Norris Dam the oldest dam built by TVA?
Although Norris was the first dam built by TVA, it is not the oldest dam owned and operated by the agency. TVA subsequently purchased the assets of the former Tennessee Electric Power Company, including some dams which had been built prior to Norris Dam.
What was the purpose of the Norris Dam?
Norris Dam. 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 development to the region and control the rampant flooding that had long plagued the Tennessee Valley. The dam was named in honor of Nebraska Senator George Norris (1861–1944),...
What time does Norris Dam open and close?
It’s open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, April through November. Construction of Norris Dam began in 1933, just a few months after the creation of TVA, and was completed in 1936.
What would happen if Norris Dam broke?
It's Chattanooga, and without the Tennessee Reservoir system, much of the city would be under water, much of the time. In fact, it is estimated that since Norris Dam was finished in 1936, around nearly $7.2 billion in flood-related damages have been averted in Chattanooga alone.
When did they build Norris Dam?
Construction of Norris Dam began in 1933, just a few months after the creation of TVA, and was completed in 1936. The dam is 265 feet high and stretches 1,860 feet across the Clinch River. Norris Dam is a hydroelectric facility.
Who built the Norris Dam?
TVAThis month the first hydroelectric dam built by the Tennessee Valley Authority turns 80, and the federal agency hosts a July 29-30 anniversary party at its base. TVA built Norris for flood control and navigation of the Tennessee River and to provide hydroelectric power for the region.
What is the oldest TVA dam?
Wilbur DamBeautiful, venerable Wilbur Dam, one of the oldest in the TVA system, encapsulates much history and serves the Tennessee Valley in many ways even today. It's not often that a century's worth of history can be seen all in one place, but it exists at Wilbur Dam.
What's the biggest dam in Tennessee?
At 480 ft., Fontana Dam is the tallest concrete dam east of the Rocky Mountains. The dam impounds the Little Tennessee River forming Fontana Lake and produces hydroelectric power. Reservoir size is approximately 11,700 acres.
What is the oldest dam on the Tennessee River?
Wilbur Dam1. Wilbur Dam was one of the first major hydroelectric projects in Tennessee, and remains one of the oldest dams in the TVA system....Wilbur DamLocationCarter County, Tennessee, United StatesCoordinates36.34106°N 82.12624°WOpening date1912Dam and spillways6 more rows
How deep is Norris Lake at the dam?
Norris Lake (Tennessee)Norris LakeAverage depth75 ft (23 m)Max. depth210 ft (64 m)Shore length1809 mi (1,302 km)Surface elevation1,020 ft (310 m)12 more rows
How deep is the deepest part of Norris Lake in Tennessee?
210′Norris Lake / Max depth
How much did it cost to build Norris Dam?
about $36 millionTotal cost of construction, including acquisition of reservoir lands, was about $36 million. The dam's engineering predates the TVA, but its appearance owes everything to a young Hungarian-born architect, Roland Wank (1898-1970), the TVA's first chief architect.
What is the deepest part of Norris Lake?
210′Norris Lake / Max depth
How deep is a Tennessee River?
9 feet deepWhat is the average depth of the Tennessee River? The Tennessee River measures 9 feet deep, on average. On average, the Tennessee River is 9 feet deep. The Tennessee River flows through multiple states, has a few dams, and crosses through more than a few cities!
How deep is the Tennessee?
The channel has a length of 1,045 kilometers (650 miles) and an average depth of about 2.7 meters (9 feet). About 34,000 barges annually travel the Tennessee River—the equivalent of two million semi-trailer trucks on the roads.
How deep is Norris Lake at the dam?
Norris Lake (Tennessee)Norris LakeAverage depth75 ft (23 m)Max. depth210 ft (64 m)Shore length1809 mi (1,302 km)Surface elevation1,020 ft (310 m)12 more rows
Why was the Norris Dam controversial?
The Norris dam project provides an isolated case showing the dichotomy of the organization: it brought thousands of jobs to the area and power for many, but displaced thousands of people, destroying a community.
How much did it cost to build Norris Dam?
about $36 millionTotal cost of construction, including acquisition of reservoir lands, was about $36 million. The dam's engineering predates the TVA, but its appearance owes everything to a young Hungarian-born architect, Roland Wank (1898-1970), the TVA's first chief architect.
What is the deepest part of Norris Lake?
210′Norris Lake / Max depth
When was the Norris Dam built?
Norris Dam. Norris was the first Tennessee Valley Authority hydroelectric project, begun in October 1933 and finished in March 1936 on the Clinch River in Anderson County.
How much did it cost to build the TVA dam?
Total cost of construction, including acquisition of reservoir lands, was about $36 million. The dam’s engineering predates the TVA, but its appearance owes everything to a young Hungarian-born architect, Roland Wank (1898-1970), the TVA’s first chief architect.
How wide is the Norris Dam?
The workers created a dam that is 1,860 feet wide, 265 feet high and holds back a lake that has 809 miles of shoreline. Norris Dam is an awe inspiring project of tremendous magnitude.
When was Norris Lake built?
Norris Lake sits behind Norris Dam. Construction started in October 1933 and it was completed in March 1936. This was, in all likelihood, TVA’s best publicized project.
How many cemeteries are there at Norris Dam State Park?
A cemetery at Norris Dam State Park. * Old cemeteries — There are three old cemeteries at Norris Dam State Park, and there really isn’t anything unusual about them. Nonetheless, these cemeteries serve as a reminder that, when Norris Dam was built and the lake created, 5,226 graves had to be dug up and relocated.
What is the CCC trail in Norris Dam?
One of the trails, known as the Camp Sam trail, takes you to where a CCC camp used to be. Talk about ghosts!
What was the purpose of the Norris Dam?
In building Norris Dam, the Tennessee Valley Authority brought on line an enormous source of electricity ; tamed the Clinch River; created a lake that includes parts of five counties; paved a scenic highway; and built the planned bedroom community of Norris. All of this changed, overnight, the culture of this once remote part of Tennessee.
Who lived in a cave in Madisonville?
But the best part of the museum is the stories that Irwin has amassed over the years about people such as Old Jim Smith (who lived in a cave) and Bush Breazeale (the Roane County man who planned and attended his own funeral).
Is there a billboard at Norris Dam?
First of all, you may notice that there are no billboards on the road to Norris Dam. That is by design: TVA’s planners wanted it to be scenic and free of advertisements.
When was the Norris Dam built?
Construction started Oct. 1, 1933; the dam began operating July 28, 1936. TVA itself was only months old when it began building Norris Dam; the dam's construction was part of the legislation that created the agency. The project, first called Cove Creek, was renamed for Sen. George Norris, the Nebraska senator who had authored ...
How long did it take to build the Norris Dam?
Discussed for decades and requiring three years to build, Norris Dam began a transformation of the Tennessee River and the Tennessee Valley. This month the first hydroelectric dam built by the Tennessee Valley Authority turns 80, and the federal agency hosts a July 29-30 anniversary party at its base.
What did TVA build?
Building a dam and a constructing its reservoir meant that TVA also build a village for workers and employees. Instead of building a temporary work camp, the agency built the permanent town of Norris. The planned community incorporated green space with buildings that included 309 houses, a school and community center.
What farm was flooded by the Norris Dam?
TVA/special to the news sentinel The Stooksberry Farm before the construction of Norris Dam. The Andersonville farm was flooded by the project.
How much did the Norris project cost?
The history of the project is detailed in an 840-page book 'The Norris Project' published in 1940 by TVA. The book's reports show TVA paid more than $8.6 million for land for the dam and reservoir. Farmers received a median $3,000 for their property. Most didn't move far. A 1936 survey found that 62 percent of families who relocated because of Norris still lived in the region.
What was Norris Lake known for?
Norris brought flood control and electricity to a rural region. But with 800 miles of shoreline, Norris Lake also quickly became a recreational draw.
Who designed the TVA dam?
The dam workers built was designed with the idea to advance TVA's image, Ezzell said. Hungarian-born architect Ronald Wank changed the initial design to create an concrete image that was 'very progressive, very modern, unique,' she said.
When did Pyle drive his Ford into the Tennessee Valley?
In 1935, only weeks after Pyle began his column, he drove his Ford into the Tennessee Valley region and went out on a chilly fall day to get a look at the famous Norris Dam, still under construction.
Is Norris Dam bare?
The dam is bare, and immobile, and lonely, just standing there. Norris Dam is what it should be: finished, unromantic and working. The lake is blue, and the water is clear, and there is hardly a ripple on the shore. There is no flood worry on the upper Clinch River. “That is the sense of Norris Dam.
When was Norris Dam built?
Construction of Norris Dam began in 1933 , just a few months after the creation of TVA, and was completed in 1936. The dam is 265 feet high and stretches 1,860 feet across the Clinch River. Norris Dam is a hydroelectric facility. It has two generating units with a summer net dependable capacity of 126 megawatts.
How many megawatts does Norris reservoir have?
It has two generating units with a summer net dependable capacity of 126 megawatts. The reservoir area also helped form the backbone for the Tennessee state park system. Norris Reservoir in east Tennessee extends 73 miles up the Clinch River and 56 miles up the Powell from Norris Dam.
Is Norris a tourist attraction?
Norris is a popular tourist and recreation destination. In the 1930s, TVA established demonstration public parks at several locations on Norris Reservoir, including Cove Lake, Big Ridge and the area around Norris Dam. These parks later became the nucleus of Tennessee’s state park system.
When was the Norris Dam built?
The Norris Dam construction project began in 1933, just a few months after the creation of TVA, and was completed in 1936. It was the first dam TVA built, and is named for Senator George Norris of Nebraska, author of the legislation that created TVA.
How many megawatts does Norris Dam produce?
Norris Dam is a hydroelectric facility. It has two generating units that produce, on average, 110 megawatts of electricity for TVA power consumers each day.
