The Norris Dam was the first of a series of dams designed and built to put the vast water resources of the 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, as many of the Cherokee had their territory alon…Tennessee River
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 county is Norris Dam in?
Norris Dam is a hydroelectric and flood control structure located on the Clinch River in Anderson County and Campbell County, Tennessee, United States. 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...
How tall is the Norris Dam in Tennessee?
The dam is 1860 feet (570 m) long and 265 feet (81 m) high. Norris Lake, the largest reservoir on a tributary of the Tennessee River, has 33,840 acres (137 km²) of water surface and 809 miles (1302 km) of shoreline. The dam has a maximum generating capacity of 132,000 kilowatts.
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.
Why is Norris Dam important?
Built 25 miles north of Knoxville, Tennessee, it dammed the Clinch and Powell Rivers, both part of the Tennessee River Watershed. The construction of the dam provided significant employment in an area hard-hit by the Depression. During construction the Norris Dam project employed over 2700 workers.
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.
Why was the building of Norris Dam a controversial issue?
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.
When was Norris Dam built?
March 4, 1936Norris Dam / Opened
What is at the bottom of Norris Lake?
It was only a town until 1936, when it was completely flooded out by the creation of Norris Lake. Which means we lost mills and schools and churches, homes and memories under the water.
Why is Norris Lake green?
The Clinch and Powell Rivers meet at the Norris Lake Dam, built by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) in 1936, which filters out contaminants, ensuring the lake's emerald green waters are kept pristine.
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
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
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 deepest part of Norris Lake?
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.
Is Norris Lake man made?
Norris Lake is located in east Tennessee, just north of Knoxville. It straddles five counties: Anderson, Union, Campbell, Grainger and Claiborne. It's a man-made reservoir, created in 1936 by the TVA, and has since become a popular hiking and swimming spot during the warmer months.
How long would the Hoover Dam last without humans?
While the dam is expected to last for centuries, engineers predict the structure could last for more than 10,000 years, surpassing most remnants of human civilization if humans were to disappear from the earth. However, they also predict the dam's turbines without human intervention would shut down within two years.
Where would the water go if the Hoover Dam broke?
the Salton SeaSome speculate the water would spread into the Mojave National Preserve and communities in southeastern California all the way to the Salton Sea, an area that was routinely flooded by the Colorado River before the dam was built in the 1930s. Approximately 25 million people depend on water from Lake Mead.
What would happen if the Kensico dam broke?
Kensico, which holds back 30.2 billion gallons of water, could cause floods up to 70 feet in parts of White Plains if breached and affect 200,000 residents, estimates say.
What is the biggest dam in the world?
Three Gorges Dam, China is the world's largest hydroelectric facility. Accroding to Wikimedia, the Three Gorges Dam is a hydroelectric gravity dam that spans the Yangtze River by the town of Sandouping, in Yiling District, Yichang, Hubei province, China.
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.
What did Pyle say about the TVA nursery?
She said, “That’s another one of those communistic things—the government raising babies!” In telling that story, Pyle added, “What they do, of course, is raise baby trees, millions of them, to be planted all over the valley.”
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.
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.
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.
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 Tennessee Valley Authority?
Among its purposes were flood control, navigation along the Tennessee River, and the creation of hydroelectric power.
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.
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.
What is the purpose of the Norris Dam?
The dam helps control floods in the area, generates electricity, and helps maintain navigation depth on the Tennessee River. ( Right: flood damage before TVA) Norris has the largest flood control storage of any TVA dam on a tributary of the Tennessee at 1,112,982 acre-feet.
How much did it cost to build the Norris Dam?
Total cost of construction, including acquisition of reservoir lands, was about $36 million. The project relocated approximately 2900 families and caused the removal of over 5,000 gravesites. Norris Lake and the dam were named for George W. Norris, a U.S. Senator from Nebraska.
How tall is Norris Dam?
It is a straight concrete gravity-type dam, 1860 feet long, 265 feet high, and 208 feet thick at the base, equipped with two 50,000-kilowatt generators. Total cost of construction, including acquisition ...
Where is Norris Dam?
Norris Dam controls the runoff from a 29,000 square-mile area of northeast Tennessee and southwest Va. Norris' two hydroelectric generators turned out the first TVA electric power in the eastern end of the Tennessee Valley.
How much water does the Norris Dam hold?
It holds as much as 830 billion gallons of water. T he town of Norris, built to house workers on the dam, was a planned community that became a model for others throughout the nation and featured social amenities to promote family life and community cooperation.
When was Norris Reservoir sold?
The community was sold first to some northern businessmen in 1948 and then about a year later to the Norris residents. Norris Reservoir abounds with secluded coves. TVA established demonstration public parks at Cove Lake, Big Ridge, and the area around Norris Dam.
How many acres are there in Norris reservoir?
It is the largest reservoir on a tributary of the Tennessee River. At full pool level it covers more than 34,000 acres, and has an average depth of about 75 feet.
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.
