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 View of Fontana Dam with Fontana Lake |
Located in the Great Smoky Mountains, Fontana is the highest
dam in the eastern United States. Fontana Dam and Lake serve
several purposes, chief among them being flood regulation and
power production. Releases from the lake also benefit downstream
navigation by contributing to the water volume during periods
of low flow. In the normal operating cycle, the lake is drawn
down during fall and winter months to provide ample space for
winter rains, and is allowed to fill when danger of floods is
passed. The powerhouse contains three generating units with a total generating capacity of 225,000 kilowatts. Electricity is generated as water is released through the turbines at Fontana. Additional power is generated as the same water passes through the turbines at 11 downstream dams. Eight of these are TVA dams on the Tennessee River; three are dams of the Aluminum Company of America on the Little Tennessee River. Tours of the dam on the incline railway are $2.00 for adults and $1.00 for children. |
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Useful storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . 946,000 acre-feet Drainage area . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,571 square miles Volume of concrete . . . . . . 2,815,300 cubic yards Height . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 480 feet Volume of earth and rock fill . . .760,600 cubic yds Length . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,365 feet Construction started . . . . . . . . . . . January l, 1942 |
Length of lake ................................................ 29 miles Water impoundment started ........... November 7, 1944 Shoreline ..................................................... 248 miles Total generating capacity, 3 units .... 225,000 kilowatts Area of lake .......................................... 10,640 acres First electricity generated .................. January 20, 1945 Total reservoir volume .................. 1,443,000 acre-feet Cost, including switchyard ....................... $74,681,000 |
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