Tired of the crowds, go fast boats and lack of true lakefront homes at Cumberland, we've found the answer.....
Norris Lake!!!!
Let's start w/ a few facts....
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Norris Lake was constructed in 1934 and was the first lake in the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) system. It encompasses almost 35,000 acres with 880 miles of beautiful shoreline. |
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Nestled in the Cumberland Mountains, Norris Lake is the deepest TVA lake with extensive year-round main channel waterways. |
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Norris Lake water quality is second to none! The cleanest and highest rated TVA lake with approximately 96% purity and is crystal clear with 25’ visibility! The water color is a beautiful teal blue with natural stone and hardwood shorelines! About 80 percent of the 230,000 people who live in the Clinch-Powell watershed depend on the river system for drinking water and other benefits. |
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Norris Lake is fed by two rivers, the Clinch and the Powell. |
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Norris Lake is the only lake to have three state parks - Cove Lake State Park, Big Ridge State Park and Norris Dam State Park. |
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Approximately 75-80% of Norris Lake shoreline is controlled by TVA and the State of Tennessee. These areas are designated Wildlife Management Areas, State Parks, Country & City Parks and Marinas. |
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The abundance of deep water coves, pristine shoreline, numerous natural stone caves and depth of Norris Lake make it perfect for recreation, boating, water sports, hiking and fishing. |
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Stripers, Trout, Large and Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Catfish and Blue Gill are just a few of the sixty-plus fish found in Norris Lake. The lake supports warm-water, cool-water as well as cold-water sport species. Norris Lake is rated by some as a TOP 10 Bass fishing lake in North America. |
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Very active Norris Lake watershed teams insure the lake maintains its’ special uniqueness and quality of life. NORRIS LAKE IS THE ONLY AREA LAKE WHICH DOES NOT HAVE AN ‘ADVISORY’ CAUTION ISSUED BY TVA! |
Norris Lake is quickly being discovered by water enthusiasts. Join the fun filled boat rally's and fishing tournaments on the lake! Challenge yourself to the two slalom courses and jump a short distance from Deerfield. See for yourself why Waterski Magazine raves about Norris Lake! Don't forget Norris Lake 4th of July Celebrations!
Photo from 1938
Picture courtesy of Andrea Blevins
The Story of Norris Lake
Norris Dam was the first dam built by the TVA (Tennessee Valley Authority).
Construction started on October 1, 1933, only a few months after the agency was
created. The gates were closed on March 4, 1936 and Norris Reservoir was
completely filled on January 22, 1937. The completed dam helped moderate the
disastrous Ohio and Mississippi flood of 1937. The giant drum gates at the top
of the spillway were raised for the first time to impound waters that would have
swelled a flood more than 600 miles away. The initial cost of the project was
$32,269,027
The construction of the Norris Project incurred 16,977,720 man hours of labor.
During the construction 8 men lost their lives, and 962 suffered injuries. The
project relocated 2,899 families and caused the removal of 5,226 gravesites.
Some of the materials used to build the dam are 1,002,300 cubic yards of
concrete, and 225,889 bags of grouting for the foundation.
Norris has the largest flood control storage of any TVA dam on a tributary of
the Tennessee - at normal maximum pool the reservoir holds 2,040,000 acre feet
of water. Norris' two hydroelectric generators turned out the first TVA electric
power in the eastern end of the Tennessee Valley and the transmission line from
Norris to the Wilson dam provided the first elements of the distribution system
that later spread through most of the valley and beyond.
Norris Lake extends 73 miles up the Clinch River and 56 miles up the Powell
River. It has 750 miles of shoreline, and 50 miles of island shoreline giving a
total of 800 miles of shoreline. The maximum width of the lake is 1.2 miles with
a surface area of 34,200 acres. The watershed area for Norris Lake covers 2,912
square miles. Norris Dam is 265 feet high, and 1860 feet long and is located on
the Clinch River at mile marker 79.8 in Campbell and Anderson County, Tennessee.
The reservoir is 129 miles long. Norris Lake and the dam were named for George
W. Norris, a U.S. Senator from Nebraska. The dam helps control floods in the
area, generates electricity, and helps maintain navigation depth on the
Tennessee River. Before reaching the Ohio River the water goes through nine
different dams, generating electricity at each one.
Located in a ridge and valley region Norris Lake abounds in secluded coves. On
these wooded banks TVA established the first demonstration public parks. Later
the parks were turned over to the state of Tennessee. Recreational use of the
reservoir exceeds that of any other tributary lake. TVA acquired the entire
shoreline of the reservoir. Although 56,700 acres of lake land have been sold a
continuous shoreline strip dedicated to public recreation has been retained, and
35,300 acres have been transferred or leased to the state of Tennessee and the
various counties for public recreation. The state administers two large game
management areas, three state parks, and 59 public access sites. There are three
county parks. The TVA retains about 22,000 acres for future recreational
development.
Lake Norris is a great place for fishing, boating, swimming, and other water
sports. Nestled between East Tennessee ridges, Norris Lake points the way to
Cumberland Gap and the historic wilderness trail marked by Daniel Boone. With
its clear deep water, it produces excellent catches of rock fish, walleye, and
bass, as well as the usual species found in other area lakes. June through
September night fishing for small mouth bass, croppie, white bass and walleye is
a popular activity. Two small wild areas on Norris Lake provide visitors with a
mini wilderness experience. River bluff features spring and summer wildflowers
and a three mile hiking trail. Hemlock bluff presents spectacular views across
Norris Lake from high tree covered bluffs. Museums, scenic hiking trails, and a
trail for the handicapped compliment the fine trout fishing and canoeing below
the dam. A picturesque 18th century grist mill excite the imaginations of
artists and historic buffs alike.
The five counties surrounding Norris Lake are Anderson County, Campbell County,
Claiborne County, Grainger County, and Union County.
Average Temperatures and Rainfall:
| Temperatures | Rainfall | Temperatures | Rainfall | ||
| JAN | 32/50 | 4.8 in. | JULY | 68/90 | 5.7 in. |
| FEB | 32/53 | 4.8 in. | AUGUST | 67/89 | 5.3 in. |
| MARCH | 38/60 | 5.3 in. | SEPT | 61/84 | 3.0 in. |
| APRIL | 48/70 | 5.3 in. | OCT | 49/73 | 3.2 in. |
| MAY | 56/80 | 4.5 in. | NOV | 37/59 | 3.4 in. |
| JUNE | 65/87 | 5.2 in. | DEC | 32/50 | 4.5 in. |
Norris Operating GuideObserved midnight elevationObserved midnight elevations are shown for two years: last year and the current year to date. These are the actual elevations of the reservoir immediately upstream of the dam, measured at midnight of each day. The previous night’s elevation is added to the graph by 6 a.m. the next morning. Balancing guideThe balancing guide is used to ensure that water is drawn from all tributary reservoirs equitably when water must be released from the reservoirs during the summer to meet downstream flow requirements. The operating objective is to keep the elevation of all reservoirs similar relative to their positions between their flood guide and their balancing guide. Flood guideThe flood guide line is a seasonal elevation guide that shows the amount of storage allocated in a reservoir for flood damage reduction. The operating objective is to keep the reservoir level at the dam at or below this line to be ready for flood events. The reservoir level may rise above the flood guide as a result of large inflows, but the level is lowered to the flood guide as soon as it can be done without increasing downstream flood damage. From June 1 through Labor Day, elevations are maintained as close as possible to this line to support recreation. During this time, elevations fall below this line only when rainfall and runoff are insufficient to meet system flow requirements. Expected elevation rangeThe shaded area represents the reservoir’s expected elevation throughout the year. Based on computer simulations using more than 100 years of historical rainfall and runoff data, the reservoir’s elevation is expected to be in the shaded area an average of eight out of every 10 years on any given date. For this reason, it is also referred to as the 80 percent probability bound. |
TVA uses operating guides for each reservoir to make decisions about moving water through its dams. These guides are based on many decades of operating experience. They are built around the idea of allowing seasonal variations in the use of flood storage space.
Operating guides take into consideration all the features that influence a reservoir’s ability to store and release water — the size and shape of the surrounding watershed, the reservoir’s surface area, and the average rainfall and runoff — as well as historical demands for water use and flood storage space at different times of the year. |
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