Nottely Dam facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Nottely Dam |
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Nottely Dam
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| Official name | Nottely Dam |
| Location | Union County, Georgia, United States |
| Coordinates | 34°57′31″N 84°5′16″W / 34.95861°N 84.08778°W |
| Construction began | July 17, 1941 |
| Opening date | January 24, 1942 |
| Operator(s) | Tennessee Valley Authority |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Impounds | Nottely River |
| Height | 184 feet (56 m) |
| Length | 2,300 feet (700 m) |
| Reservoir | |
| Creates | Lake Nottely |
Nottely Dam is a large structure built across the Nottely River in Union County, Georgia. It helps control floods and also makes electricity. The dam is owned and run by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA).
The TVA built Nottely Dam in the early 1940s. Its main job was to stop floods and help manage the water flow for another dam nearby, called Hiwassee Dam. The dam creates a large lake called Lake Nottely, which covers about 4,180 acres (17 square kilometers). Even though it was first built for flood control, a machine to make electricity was added in the 1950s.
Nottely Dam got its name from the Nottely River. The river itself was named after an old Cherokee village called Naduhli. This village used to be located along the river's banks. The name "Naduhli" comes from a Native American word meaning "daring horseman."
Where is Nottely Dam Located?
The Nottely River starts near the border of Union and Lumpkin counties. It flows north through Union County and then into North Carolina. The river eventually joins the Hiwassee River.
Nottely Dam is about 21 miles (34 kilometers) upstream from where the Nottely River meets the Hiwassee River. It is just south of the Georgia-North Carolina state line. Lake Nottely stretches south for about 20 miles (32 kilometers) towards Blairsville, Georgia. Both the dam and the lake are surrounded by the beautiful Chattahoochee National Forest.
How Big is Nottely Dam?
Nottely Dam is made of earth and rock. It stands 184 feet (56 meters) tall and is 2,300 feet (701 meters) long. The dam has a special concrete overflow area called a "ski-jump" spillway. This spillway can release a lot of water, up to 11,500 cubic feet (326 cubic meters) per second.
The dam also has a concrete intake tower connected to the land by a footbridge. Water goes into a tunnel from this tower and flows downstream. The single machine that makes electricity at Nottely Dam can produce 15,000 kilowatts of power. Lake Nottely can hold a huge amount of water to prevent floods. It has a surface area of 4,180 acres (17 square kilometers) and a shoreline that stretches for 106 miles (171 kilometers).
Building Nottely Dam
Before Nottely Dam was built, the upper Nottely River flowed through a rough, rocky area. This area had several good spots where a dam could be built to make electricity. Some private companies had bought land along the river for future dam projects, but they never built anything.
In 1933, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) was created. The TVA studied the Hiwassee River area, which often caused big floods in Chattanooga. In 1940, the TVA finished building Hiwassee Dam.
When World War II started in Europe in 1941, there was a sudden need for more electricity. This power was needed to help make aluminum in East Tennessee. So, Nottely Dam (which was called the "Thompson Canyon site" in early plans) and other dam projects were approved on July 16, 1941. Work on Nottely Dam began the very next day.
To build Nottely Dam, the TVA had to buy about 7,984 acres (32 square kilometers) of land. They also had to clear about 2,485 acres (10 square kilometers) of land. 91 families had to move, and 21 miles (34 kilometers) of roads had to be rebuilt.
The dam was first planned only to store water and prevent floods. However, it was designed so that a generator could be added later if needed. The dam was built by creating a "crib" of rock and stone, then filling the middle with earth. It was built very quickly so that the lake could fill up during the rainy winter months. Building it fast was possible because it used rock and earth instead of a lot of concrete. Only the spillway needed a lot of concrete. The dam's design was also simple, similar to the nearby Chatuge Dam. Since the lake would fill slowly, it could create places for mosquitos to breed. So, steps were taken to prevent outbreaks of malaria.
Nottely Dam was finished, and its gates were closed on January 24, 1942. The whole project cost a little over $8 million. In its early years, Nottely Dam worked together with Hiwassee Dam and Chatuge Dam. This helped Hiwassee Dam make as much electricity as possible. Nottely Dam got its own electricity generator in the 1950s.
