Monday, May 3, 2010

Cherokee Lake

Cherokee Lake (TVA) from top of Clinch Mountain on US 25E

Cherokee Lake Dam

Gates on dam

Stream below dam


While we were in TN we went out for a drive several days and on one of the drives we ended up at Cherokee Dam. I've always enjoyed looking at dams and have toured several of them before 9/11 when you could go down in without being stripped searched :) As you can see by looking at the stream below the dam there is not a lot of water leaving. They have to make judgments every year on how much rain they think they'll get and then hold back water accordingly. Norris lake was at least 10-15 feet below full and Cherokee Lake was even lower. As of today (5/3) Norris lake is around 8 feet below full and Cherokee Lake is around 15 feet below full.

2 comments:

Rose said...

I sure wouldn't mind throwing a line in the water there!

Betsy Banks Adams said...

Beautiful Neal... Makes me wonder about the dams that control the water on the Cumberland River near Nashville. The flooding there is horrible. I feel so sorry for people in that area.

Enjoyed your pictures...
Betsy