Tennessee

Watts Bar, located about midway between Knoxville and Chattanooga, is one of nine TVA dams on the Tennessee River. The reservoir attracts millions of recreation visits each year for boating, fishing, swimming, camping, and other outdoor activities. A scenic overlook near the dam provides visitors with a panoramic view of the reservoir and surrounding countryside.

The dam was completed in January 1942, three weeks after Pearl Harbor, and provided urgently needed electricity for the war effort.

Norris is a popular tourist and recreation destination, and in summer 2005 TVA opened a new visitor center at the dam. Visitors can learn about the history of Norris, hydropower operations, and TVA's management of the river system. The facility, located at the top of the dam, is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. It's staffed by TVA retiree volunteers.

Kentucky Reservoir is home to many varieties of fish, including largemouth and smallmouth bass, catfish, bluegill, sauger, and crappie. Numerous boat docks and launching ramps dot the coves of Kentucky's shoreline.

Located on Kentucky's shores are the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area, four state parks, the Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge, 48 public access areas, and two state wildlife management areas. There are resorts and campsites, areas for swimming and picnicking, and a back-country area for off-road vehicles.

The Unaka Mountain Wilderness now contains a total of 4,496 acres and is managed by the U.S. Forest Service. All of the wilderness is in the state of Tennesee.

Public land becomes wilderness through legislation passed by the United States Congress in the form of public laws.

Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge, encompasing over 51,000 acres, is located on Kentucky Lake in northwest Tennessee. The refuge's three units: Big Sandy, Duck River and Busseltown stretch for 65 miles along the Tennessee River. Established in 1945, the refuge is one of the older refuges in the country. It is managed as an important resting and feeding area for wintering waterfowl. The refuge also provides habitat for numerous resident wildlife species and other migratory birds.

Chickamauga Reservoir is named for a tribe of Native Americans that broke away from the Cherokee Nation in the 1700s. They lived in villages along North Chickamauga Creek, which joins the river just below Chickamauga Dam. The reservoir attracts milllions of outdoor enthusiasts each year for fishing, boating, and swimming. There are boat ramps on the lake and canoe access on North Chickamauga Creek.

Good fishing, clear waters, and the beautiful backdrop of the wooded Appalachian foothills combine to make Guntersville one of the South's premier recreation attractions.

Crappie is the number-one sport fish, usually accounting for more than half of the total catch. Bass and bluegill are also caught in large numbers. The area just below Guntersville Dam is known for its fine sauger fishing during fall and winter, white bass in early spring, and catfish during the summer months.

The Gee Creek Wilderness now contains a total of 2,493 acres and is managed by the U.S. Forest Service. All of the wilderness is in the state of Tennesee.

Public land becomes wilderness through legislation passed by the United States Congress in the form of public laws. For the Gee Creek Wilderness, this process began in 1975 when 2,570 acres were designated by Public Law 93-622.

The Gee Creek Wilderness is part of the 106 million acre National Wilderness Preservation System.

Melton Hill Reservoir is on the Clinch River in east Tennessee. It extemds almost 57 miles upstream from Melton Hill Dam to Norris Dam. Unlike other TVA reservoirs, Melton Hill is not used for flood control. But because it's used for power production, the level of the water in the reservoir fluctuates about four feet throughout the year.