Fort Loudoun Dam
Fort Loudoun Dam is a hydroelectric dam on the Tennessee River in Loudon County, Tennessee, in the southeastern United States. The dam is operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), which built the dam in the early 1940s as part of a unified plan to provide electricity and flood control in the Tennessee Valley and create a continuous 652-mile (1,049 km) navigable river channel from Knoxville, Tennessee to Paducah, Kentucky. It is the uppermost of nine TVA dams on the Tennessee River.
| Fort Loudoun Dam | |
|---|---|
Fort Loudoun Dam | |
Location of Fort Loudoun Dam in Tennessee | |
| Official name | Fort Loudoun Dam |
| Location | Loudon County, Tennessee, United States |
| Coordinates | 35°47′27.27″N 84°14′33.54″W |
| Purpose | Navigation, flood control, electricity |
| Construction began | July 8, 1940 |
| Opening date | August 2, 1943 |
| Operator(s) | Tennessee Valley Authority |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Impounds | Tennessee River |
| Height | 122 ft (37 m) |
| Length | 4,190 ft (1,280 m) |
| Reservoir | |
| Creates | Fort Loudoun Lake |
| Power Station | |
| Commission date | 1943-1948 |
| Turbines | 1 x 36 MW, 2 x 34 MW, 1 x 40 MW propeller |
| Installed capacity | 144 MW |
The dam impounds the 14,600-acre (5,900 ha) Fort Loudoun Lake and its tailwaters are part of Watts Bar Lake. The generating capacity of Fort Loudoun Dam is enhanced by the Tellico Reservoir, from which water is diverted via canal to Fort Loudoun Lake. It and associated infrastructure were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2017.
Fort Loudoun Dam is named after Fort Loudoun, an 18th-century British colonial fort built during the French and Indian War. The fort— which was located about 10 miles (16 km) south of the dam site— was named for John Campbell, 4th Earl of Loudoun, commander of British forces in North America during this period.