Norris Lake (Tennessee) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Norris Lake |
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| Norris Reservoir | |
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 Norris Lake
Location in Tennessee
Norris Lake
Location in the United States
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| Location | Anderson, Campbell, Claiborne, Grainger, and Union counties in Tennessee, United States |
| Coordinates | 36°17′34″N 83°54′39″W / 36.292713°N 83.910925°W |
| Primary inflows | Clinch River |
| Primary outflows | Clinch River, Powell River |
| Max. length | 206 mi (332 km) |
| Max. width | 1.2 mi (1.9 km) |
| Surface area | 53.875 sq mi (137 km2) |
| Average depth | 75 ft (23 m) |
| Max. depth | 210 ft (64 m) |
| Shore length1 | 809 mi (1,302 km) |
| Surface elevation | 1,020 ft (310 m) |
| 1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. | |
Norris Lake, also known as Norris Reservoir, is a large reservoir (a man-made lake) located in Tennessee, United States. It was created in 1936 by the Norris Dam on the Clinch River. The dam and lake were built by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). This was their very first big project!
The main reasons for building Norris Lake were to control floods, store water, and create electricity using water power. The lake, the dam, and the nearby town of Norris, Tennessee are all named after George W. Norris. He was a U.S. Senator from Nebraska who helped create the TVA.
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How Norris Lake Was Created
Norris Lake was formed when the Norris Dam was built. This dam was the first major project of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). The TVA was part of the "New Deal" plan to help the country during the Great Depression.
Construction on the dam started in 1933 and was finished in March 1936. It cost about $36 million to build. The dam is 265 feet (about 81 meters) tall and stretches 1,860 feet (about 567 meters) across the Clinch River. A town called Norris was built nearby to house the workers and their families.
The main job of Norris Dam is to control floods in the area. It still does this important job today. The dam also makes electricity using two large generators. Together, they can produce 131.4 megawatts of power.
Norris Lake is quite big! It reaches about 73 miles (117 km) up the Clinch River and 56 miles (90 km) up the Powell River. It has about 800 miles (1,287 km) of shoreline, which is a lot of space to explore! The lake covers about 52.9 square miles (137 square kilometers) of water. At its widest, it's about 1.2 miles (1.9 km) across, and its deepest point is 210 feet (64 meters). This makes it the largest lake on a river that flows into the Tennessee River.
As of 2011, the lake's water health was rated as "fair." The TVA is working on a clean water plan to make the lake even cleaner.
Lake Water and Weather
The water temperature in Norris Lake changes with the seasons. It's about 55 degrees Fahrenheit (13°C) in spring, 72 degrees Fahrenheit (22°C) in summer, 56.5 degrees Fahrenheit (13.6°C) in fall, and 36 degrees Fahrenheit (2°C) in winter.
The area around the lake gets about 4.6 inches (11.7 cm) of rain each month. The lake's water level is usually around 1,000 feet (305 meters) above sea level. The water level can change quite a bit, sometimes by about 46 feet (14 meters) from day to day.
Land Around the Lake
Norris Lake is located in a region called the Great Valley of East Tennessee. The land around the lake covers about 375 square miles (971 square kilometers). The main types of rock found here are limestone and sandstone. These rocks have been shaped by the shifting land over many years.
Animals and Plants
Fish in Norris Lake
The fish in Norris Lake get most of their food from the Clinch and Powell Rivers. This is because the lake itself doesn't produce a lot of nutrients for them. Because of this, there aren't as many fish in Norris Lake compared to other nearby lakes like Boone Lake.
There are also warnings about eating fish from the lake because of mercury levels. The main types of fish you can find in Norris Lake include black bass, striped bass, crappie, walleye, and different kinds of sunfish.
Plants Around and In the Lake
Norris Lake doesn't have much plant life growing underwater. You might still see tree stumps underwater from when the reservoir was first created. To help the fish, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) has a program that uses old Christmas trees to create underwater hiding spots for fish.
The forests around Norris Lake are mostly "Appalachian oak forests." In drier spots, you'll find oak and pine trees like blackjack oak, chestnut oak, post oak, scarlet oak, and southern red oak. In areas with more moisture, you'll see trees like white oak, southern red oak, and black oak. Many short leaf pine trees also grow tall, forming the forest canopy.
What People Do Around Norris Lake
The areas around Norris Lake are home to about 189,150 people (as of 2013). The main way people make a living here is through agriculture. Farmers grow crops like tobacco, corn, and hay. Other jobs in the area are in industries like making clothes, coal mining, timber (wood) production, and nuclear power.
Norris Lake is a great place for fun activities! There are several protected natural areas, such as Norris Dam State Park, the Cove Creek Wildlife Management Area, and Chuck Swan State Forest. These places offer hiking trails and other ways to enjoy nature. The lake itself is popular for waterskiing, fishing, swimming, and boating.
