When was fontana lake built

At 25 miles, the road will end in a T. One note, if you need food, water or gas, get it in Bryson City. By the mids, Alcoa had purchased the land that is now the Dam site. Construction began January 1, The building of the Dam, also required the purchase of 68, acres of land behind and around it.

As a result, 1, families, 1, graves, and more than 60 miles of roads had to be relocated. This of course is the beginnings of the Road To Nowhere story. The Dam also provided power for a nearby government Nuclear research facility.

This facility played a key role in the creation of the nuclear bombs used at the end of the war. Construction of the Dam required more than 2,, square yards of concrete. Due to the size and amount of concrete, special expansion joints had to be created that contained cooling units.

Name Email Subscribe. Follow Follow Follow. Got Questions? Call: Several marinas service the lake, including Fontana Marina , the nearest to the dam itself, which offers watercraft and equipment rentals including pontoon boats, canoes, kayaks, and paddle boards.

Lake excursions are available, with knowledgable guides relating the history of the region and the dam. Views from the water reveal the pristine nature of the surrounding lands. Largemouth bass, whitefish, catfish, pike, and bluegills abound in the reservoir, and because of its deep water, fishermen often find such northern species as walleye, muskie, and smallmouth bass.

The hot showers available at the trail shelter, maintained by the TVA, have led hikers to dub it the Fontana Hilton. It is open from 9 a. Newly refurbished and staffed by TVA retirees, the visitor center has updated maps, videos, and displays about TVA and the construction of the dam.

Fontana Dam is 2, feet long and feet high, making it the tallest dam in the Eastern United States. The dam has a flood storage capacity of , acre feet and the combined capacity of its three generators is Fontana Lake has miles of shoreline and 10, acres of water surface, and its surface elevation varies by 57 feet annually.

It is the 4th biggest dam in the world. The Aluminum Company of America ALCOA began investigating the Little Tennessee Valley around in hopes of finding a power source for the massive amounts of electricity needed at its aluminum production operations at nearby Alcoa, Tennessee.