Localwaters

Cheatham Lake is an impoundment of the Cumberland River down river from Nashville, Tennessee. The lake is 7,500 acres and extends upriver 67.5 miles to Old Hickory Dam. Cheatham Dam has a lock to allow navigation and is a hydroelectric facility with three turbines that produce 12,000 Kilowatts each.

From the USACE website: Cheatham Lake has a non-navigable, gate controlled, spillway dam. It is 800 feet wide (not including the lock), 75 feet tall and consists of 7 tainter gates. The water behind the dam is approximately 40 feet deep.

The lake is a “run-of-the-river” type, operating basically on normal streamflow. Only a small amount of inflowing water is stored for power generation and lockages. The project does not regulate flood waters. Water releases from projects upstream contribute to the flows available for the Cheatham project use. This results in a sufficient water supply and enhanced water quality for domestic and industrial uses, pollution control downstream, and conservation and recreational purposes. Lake levels are controlled to provide a navigable channel, with a minimum depth of 9 feet. Description courtesy of wikipedia

Cheatham Lake is popular for waterfowl hunting. Pardue Pond Wildlife Refuge is located along the southern shoreline and Dyson’s Ditch Wildlife Refuge is located on the northern shore.

Please consider showing your appreciation of Cheatham Lake by picking up some litter during your visit. Many hands make light work.