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Picture of the day -
February 9, 2006
South Holston Dam
Throughout much of the earth's history, the South Holston River
overflowed its banks each and every spring causing lots of property damage...and
worse. Then European settlers moved into the region in the 1700's, building homes and
businesses and clearing the land in the river basin in order to raise crops to
feed their families.
Then along came the 1930's and the Great Depression which left the region with
staggering levels of unemployment. Making matters even worse, electric power was
simply unavailable in most areas. It was determined that the construction of a dam across the South
Holston River would help alleviate these problems so the Tennessee Valley
Authority (TVA) moved in, bought over 7,500 acres of property and hired hundreds
of local workers to begin building South Holston Dam. The massive
project was completed in 1950.
At a whopping 285 feet high and 1,600 feet in length, South Holston Dam is one
of the largest earthen dams in the world. This massive earth and rock structure
holds back the waters of
South Holston Lake which extends some 24 miles
up the river from the dam.
Today, the reservoir helps control the South Holston River's yearly flooding
while providing recreational opportunities for area residents and visitors
alike. At the same time, the turbines built into the dam generate thousands of
kilowatts of electricity daily that is distributed to many localities throughout the
southeastern United States. It's hard to even guess just how much the
construction of South Holston Dam has improved the quality of life in our
region and beyond!
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