This is Fontana -- a dam and its lake, a
community and its recreation, a story of courage and
human endeavor.
The highest dam
in the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) system,
Fontana ranks among the most beautiful in the
world. Surrounded by the extraordinary beauty
of the Smoky Mountains, the adjacent national
forests, and deep river gorges.
Fontana was not
designed as an overflow dam so it has a somewhat
distinct appearance. Its length is accentuated
by the fact that no water spills over the top.
As the reservoir reaches capacity, water is released
through spillways downstream from the base of the
dam.
Built just as
America was entering World War II, Fontana supplied
electricity to fuel the war effort. In
peacetime, Fontana helps improve navigation on the
Tennessee River and controls flooding that once
reached as far as Chattanooga.
Built in just
over three years, during a time of historic shortages
of steel and manpower, the Fontana project is a
fascinating account of dam construction in the remote
reaches of deep forest and tall mountains.
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Construction of
Fontana required an exceptionally impressive
organizational effort. Because the site was
located in the remote mountains of North Carolina, a
railroad had to be built to transport supplies.
A community for the workers and their families was
erected in the wilderness, almost overnight.
The 5,000 or so
men and women who assembled at Fontana in 1942 worked
in three shifts, around-the-clock, seven days a
week. Because of the accelerated schedule,
construction time was slashed almost to half of what
it would have been in peacetime.
Military
marches and big band music were piped over a public
address system to the camp, the softball field, the
cafeteria and poll halls. In the dark hills,
bright floodlights illuminated the site, as third
shift workers worked through the night. And
everywhere signs reminded workers of their patriotic
duty to the war effort. What had been an
isolated corner of the Smoky Mountains became a hub
of activity.
The massive
project broke construction records. Because of
the shortage of structural steel, engineers designed
the powerhouse superstructure with reinforced
concrete. On one celebrated day, construction
required concrete equivalent to 1,100 of today's
large concrete trucks. Limber harvested from
the land that would be covered by the lake was used
for the concrete forms, timbers to support many miles
of conveyors, and the curved forms for the spillway
aprons.
In November
1944, the lake began to fill and, soon after power
generation became a reality. The project cost
$74.7 million.
There were
approximately 600 mountain families in the area when
Fontana was built. Some were relocated, some
moved east to Asheville, or west to Tennessee.
Most stayed and continued to farm the land in rural
homes which now had electricity, and to take
advantage of new jobs and increased economic growth
in the area.
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Fontana Facilities and Natural Wonders
Fishing,
boating, and swimming on Fontana Lake are popular
pastimes. Management of natural resources,
wildlife and the environment are an important mission
of TVA working in partnership with local planners.
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The Visitors
Center at Fontana Dam is designed to offer an
entertaining and educational introduction to
hydroelectric power, and the history associated with
the building of Fontana. The Powerhouse, as well as the Incline
Tram, are no longer open for tours. However, the Observation Deck and the Overlook
provide exceptional views of the dam, the unusual
discharge tunnels, and the mountain scenery.
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The Appalachian
Trail, which extends over 2,000 miles from Georgia to
Maine, crosses the top of Fontana Dam. Trail
hikers named the nearby trail shelter the
"Fontana Hilton", for the welcomed hot
showers available to them at TVA's Visitors
Center. Picnic tables and camping
accommodations are available in the area.
Boat docks and
launching ramps are located at various sites on the
lake for Fontana's visitors. The Smoky
Mountains National Park borders the Fontana Dam
Reservoir and receives eight million visitors a year,
many of whom spend time at Fontana.
Many types of
fish are abundant in Fontana Lake, including rainbow,
brown, and brook trout, large and smallmouth bass,
walleye, pike, perch, sunfish and crappie.
What was once
the construction village is now a resort offering
recreational activities such as boating, horseback
riding and crafts.
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Some Facts About Fontana Dam
- Height: The highest
concrete dam east of the Rocky Mountains -
480 feet.
- Length: 2,365 feet.
- Thickness at base: 376
feet.
- Power: Three generating
units with a total capacity of 250,000
kilowatts.
- Construction started:
January 1, 1942.
- Start to fill
reservoir: November 7, 1944.
- First electricity
generated: January 20, 1945.
- Project cost: $74.7
million.
- Drainage area: 1,571
square miles.
- Reservoir size: 11,685.
- Shoreline: 240 miles.
- Jobs in construction:
6,340.
- Man-hours to build:
34.5 million.
- Total concrete poured:
2.8 million cubic yards.
- Annual area rainfall:
75-80 inches.
- The Incline Tram, used
to transport visitors from the Visitors
Center to the Powerhouse, is unique to the
TVA system.
- The Appalachian Trail
crosses the top of Fontana Dam.
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From
Knoxville and the north, take US 129
south about 50 miles to North Carolina
Highway 28. Turn left on Highway 28 and
go approximately 10 miles to the Fontana Dam
Visitors Center access road on the left.
From
Chattanooga and the southwest, take
US 64/74/19/129 northeast to Murphy.
Continue northeast on US 64/74/19/129
approximately 25 miles to Topton. Turn
left on US 129 and go 12 miles to
Robbinsville. Turn right on State 143
and go 10 miles to Highway 28. Turn
left and go approximately 10 miles to the
Fontana Dam Visitors Center access road on
the right.
From
Asheville and the east, take US
23/74 west to State Highway 28. The
Fontana Dam Visitors Center access road is on
the right approximately 11 miles past
Stecoah.
From
Franklin and the south, take State
Highway 28 northwest. The Fontana Dam
Visitors Center access road is on the right
approximately 11 miles past Stecoah.
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For more
information about the Tennessee Valley
Authority generating facilities, write or
call:
Energy
Communications
Tennessee Valley Authority
1101 Market Street, BR 4F
Chattanooga, TN 37402
1-800-467-1388
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Revised: October 07, 2008.
the Travel and Tourism Authority
or