Fontana Dam is
located in Western North Carolina and is the highest Dam in the Eastern United
States. It rises 480 foot high and stretches 2,365 feet across the Little
Tennessee River forming the 10,230 acres of Fontana Lake. The Lake stretches 29
miles in length and has 238 miles of unspoiled shoreline. Fontana offers some
of the best lake fishing in the Southeast and it provides recreational
opportunities for water sports including swimming, water skiing, jet boating
and motor boating.
The construction of
Fontana Dam began in January 1942 when America was engaged in World War 2. Top
nuclear scientists in the United States were working on the Oak Ridge Project
as part of the war effort and it was essential that an abundant supply of high
grade electrical energy be made available for that project. The Fontana Dam
hydroelectric project was given a high priority and placed on an accelerated
schedule for completion. A railroad was built to transport building materials
and supplies and a large village sprang up almost overnight in the middle of
the forest in the remote mountains of Western North Carolina. The Village
became home to the families of the 5,000 people who worked around the clock, in
three shifts, 7 days a week to complete this engineering marvel. Signs were
posted everywhere reminding workers of their patriotic duty to the war effort
and military marches and big band music were piped over a loudspeaker system to
the camp, the softball field and the cafeteria. Construction time was slashed
dramatically, the Dam was completed, and water began to fill the lake in
November of 1944. The first electricity was generated in January of 1945 and
today Fontana's three turbines generate 250,000 kilowatts of hydroelectric
power.
In addition to
electrical generation the Fontana Dam and Lake along with the smaller dams and
lakes upstream provides flood control for the watershed area. Tributary streams
that feed Fontana Lake include all the streams in Western North Carolina. Three
major rivers the Tuckaseegee, the Nantahala, and the Oconoluftee merge with the
Little Tennessee River to feed Fontana Lake. The Lake borders the Great Smoky
Mountains National Park where Chambers Creek, Eagle Creek, Forney Creek, Hazel
Creek, Lands Creek, Nolands Creek and Pilkeys creek are also tributary streams
feeding Fontana Lake. An ideal location was chosen for Fontana Dam that
provided for the harnessing of a large and complete tributary system of streams
for a lake bordered by tall mountains in an area that had an average annual
rainfall of 75-80 inches. The engineer who discovered the potential site for
Fontana must have been thrilled at the existence of such an ideal set of
variables!
Today boat docks and
launching ramps are located in various places along the lake to provide
recreational access to Fontana's many visitors. Many types of fish are abundant
in Fontana Lake including rainbow, brown, brook and steelhead trout, large and
small mouth bass, pike, perch and crappie. A number of large and popular
fishing tournaments are held on Fontana attracting droves of enthusiastic
fishermen from all over the country. Water sports fans enjoy swimming and
skiing, and boaters enjoy motorboats, pontoons, houseboats and jet
skis.
The construction
village at Fontana has been turned into a popular resort offering a variety of
recreational activities. The TVA Visitors Center located at the Dam offers an
entertaining and educational presentation of hydroelectric power production and
the history associated with the building of Fontana Dam. An incline tram
transports visitors to the power house where tours of the facility are
provided. Visitors are treated to great views of the dam, the water discharge
tunnels and the scenic splendor of the lake and mountains from the Observation
Deck and the Overlook. Hikers on the famous Appalachian Trail cross Fontana
Dam.
Fontana Dam is
located about 28 miles from the scenic Nantahala River Gorge. The Lake reaches
to just below the Nantahala River "take-out site" for whitewater sports in the
Nantahala Gorge. |
