Great Falls Dam (Tennessee)
Great Falls Dam is a hydroelectric dam on the Caney Fork, straddling the county line between White County and Warren County in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the only dam outside the Tennessee River watershed owned and operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority. The dam impounds the 1,830-acre (740 ha) Great Falls Lake, and its tailwaters feed into Center Hill Lake. The completion of Great Falls Dam in late 1916 was an engineering triumph, marking the first successful attempt to impound the volatile and flood-prone Caney Fork. The dam is also notable for its design, utilizing a mostly underground conduit to carry water from the reservoir via a tributary to the Power House 0.75 miles (1.21 km) downstream from the dam.
Great Falls Hydroelectric Station | |
U.S. National Register of Historic Places | |
Great Falls Dam | |
| Location | Warren / White counties, Tennessee, United States |
|---|---|
| Nearest city | Rock Island, Tennessee |
| Coordinates | 35°48′7″N 85°37′20″W |
| Built | 1915–1916 |
| NRHP reference No. | 90001004 |
| Added to NRHP | 1990 |
Great Falls Dam is named for the rapids and waterfalls on the Caney Fork downstream from the dam. The section of river below the powerhouse is world-renowned for whitewater kayaking. The dam and its tailwaters are surrounded by Rock Island State Park.