Norris Dam
Norris Dam is a hydroelectric and flood control structure located on the Clinch River in Anderson County and Campbell County, Tennessee, United States. The dam was the first major project for the Tennessee Valley Authority, which had been created in 1933 to bring economic development to the region and control the rampant flooding that had long plagued the Tennessee Valley. The dam was named in honor of Nebraska Senator George Norris (1861–1944), a longtime supporter of government-owned utilities in general, and supporter of TVA in particular. The infrastructure project was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2016.
| Norris Dam | |
|---|---|
Norris Dam and Powerhouse, circa 2021. | |
Location of Norris Dam in Tennessee | |
| Official name | Norris Dam |
| Location | Anderson County and Campbell County, Tennessee, United States |
| Coordinates | 36°13′27″N 84°05′29″W |
| Purpose | Flood control, electricity |
| Construction began | October 1, 1933 |
| Opening date | March 4, 1936 |
| Construction cost | US$32.3 million (equivalent to $674,047,089 in 2022) |
| Designed by | Roland A. Wank |
| Operator(s) | Tennessee Valley Authority |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Impounds | Clinch River |
| Height | 265 feet (81 m) |
| Length | 1,860 feet (570 m) |
| Reservoir | |
| Creates | Norris Lake |
| Total capacity | 2,552,000 acre⋅ft (3,148,000 dam3) |
| Catchment area | 2,912 sq mi (7,540 km2) |
| Power Station | |
| Commission date | 1936 |
| Turbines | 2 x 66 MW Francis-type |
| Installed capacity | 132 MW |
Norris Dam is a straight concrete gravity-type dam. The dam is 1860 feet (570 m) long and 265 feet (81 m) high. Norris Lake, the largest reservoir on a tributary of the Tennessee River, has 33,840 acres (137 km2) of water surface and 809 miles (1302 km) of shoreline. The dam has a maximum generating capacity of 126 megawatts.