Norris Dam Open Spillway

The Norris Dam open spillway filled the air with the roar of crashing water for the first time in four years. Our recent heavy rains had flooded area rivers and lakes, and the TVA dam needed to release water – a fairly rare event. Of course, this created a terrific photography opportunity.

Construction of the dam started in 1933 and was completed in 1936, the first dam constructed by the Tennessee Valley Authority. The 110-megawatt hydroelectric facility reaches 1860 feet across the Clinch River and is 265 feet tall.

We regularly camp at Big Ridge State Park on Norris Lake. The heavy rains flooded the park and temporarily closed their campground (they have already reopened), so we moved just up the road to nearby Norris Dam State Park. The photographs below were taken on April 28 and 29, 2017.

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