Localwaters

The Toccoa River and Ocoee River are actually a single 93-mile-long (150 km) river that flows northwestward through the southern Appalachian Mountains of the southeastern United States. It is called the Toccoa for its 56 miles (90 km) through Georgia, until it reaches the twin cities of McCaysville, Georgia andCopperhill, Tennessee, at the truss bridge which connects Georgia 5 (Blue Ridge Street) with Tennessee 68and Georgia 60 (Ocoee Street and Toccoa Street).

The remainder is called the Ocoee through Tennessee, known for its whitewater rafting, and host to whitewater slalom events during the Centennial 1996 Summer Olympics held primarily in Atlanta, about 100 miles (160 km) to the south.

The Ocoee River is a tributary of the Hiwassee River, which it joins in Polk County, Tennessee, near the town ofBenton. It was an important river for both the Cherokee and Creek tribes.

The Ocoee’s flow is controlled by the Tennessee Valley Authority via three dams. Most often the riverbed is nearly dry in the ten-mile (16 km) stretch used for sporting, the water being diverted through flumes along the side of the mountains. Ocoee #2 dam diverted water, from the middle section of the river, through the flume, until a 2010 rock slide washed out part of the flume, which is currently under repair. The dam was originally built in 1913 by the East Tennessee Power Company to provide hydroelectric power to the new Alcoa company, which was startingaluminum production operations in Blount County, Tennessee, south of Knoxville.

The three Ocoee dams are numbered sequentially, with #1 being the farthest downstream and #3 being the farthest upstream. TVA acquired the two original dams (Ocoee #1 and Ocoee #2) in 1939 and started building Ocoee #3 dam in 1940. These dams generate an average of 67,000 kilowatts of electricity in total. The Middle Section contains some 20 named rapids and provides recreational opportunities throughout its eight-month season. One of the largest rapids on the Middle Ocoee, “Hell’s Hole,” runs right beneath the bridge leading to the power station, with “Powerhouse”, a significant ledge with a strong hydraulic, right after it. Upstream (to the southeast), TVA also operates Blue Ridge Dam, which creates Lake Blue Ridge (called Blue Ridge Reservoir by TVA).

The whitewater slalom events during the 1996 Summer Olympics were conducted on a one-mile Olympic whitewater course that is fed by releases of water from Ocoee #3. The Ocoee Whitewater Center was built by the U.S. Forest Service for this purpose, including a large building along U.S. 64, whose westbound lanes were originally built as the parking and staging area, allowing it to later become a divided highway in the immediate area to handle summertimetraffic. A 4.5-mile whitewater rafting area farther downstream is fed by water released from Ocoee Dam #2.

The Olympic section was not open to the public until after the Olympics, while the middle section has been open to the public since the 1970s, mainly for daytime releases of water on weekends and holidays. Rafting tours (including bustransportation) are provided by several different companies located in both directions on U.S. 64, which runs next to the river for a few miles (several kilometers).

Credit for description above Wikipedia

Wiki/Creative Commons License for description above only:http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

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To the Cherokee, who named the scenic Ocoee River Gorge, this was the “apricot vine place.” To the whitewater enthusiasts who flock here from all over the world, there’s only one word for the spot?fun.

TVA manages its dams to achieve a variety of purposes, including recreation, and the three Ocoee dams are no exception.

• Power. The three Ocoee dams together generate more than 67,000 kilowatts of electricity, using an ingeniously engineered system to boost the river’s power.
• Whitewater. The dams also make the Ocoee one of the premier sport rivers in the Southeast. Site of the 1996 Summer Olympics whitewater competitions, the Ocoee boasts the mile-long Olympic whitewater course and a four-and-a-half-mile rafting area.
• Schedules. Both the whitewater course and the rafting area are fed by regular releases of water from TVA’s dams. The schedules are published here.
• Attractions. Recreation in the area is not limited to the river itself. The beautiful wooded peaks of Cherokee National Forest rise above the river and lovely Parksville Reservoir, behind Ocoee Dam No. 1. Opportunities abound for swimming, picnicking, and boating. The shore of the reservoir features U.S. Forest Service campgrounds, as well as a commercially run inn.

Whether you like your water white and fast or deep and peaceful, whether you’re looking for a thrill a minute or a quiet drift through a summer afternoon, the Ocoee has it all.

Credit for description below wiki courtesy of TVA

Until recently much of the Copper Basin, a few miles upstream from Ocoee Dam No. 3, was barren and bleak, the effect of years of copper mining and smelting. The practice of burning the ore to get rid of sulfur produced acid rain, which denuded an area of more than 50 square miles. Astronauts could once see the red scar on the earth from outer space. Today, thanks to restoration efforts by TVA and other organizations, the Copper Basin’s recovery is almost complete and the area has been returned to its former beauty. Consider touring the excellent Ducktown Basin Museum for the complete story about the ecological disaster and the amazing recovery.

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For more information about the recovery of the Ocoee River see this from the TimesFreePress

Localwaters note: After the Ocoee flows through the gorge it is impounded by Ocoee Dam number 1 and forms Parksville Lake. This lake wasn’t created by TVA like so many others in the region. It was built much earlier, in 1911 by Tennessee Electric Power Company though it was later acquired by TVA. I’ve never heard this lake called Parksville, it’s known mostly by Lake Ocoee. It’s an especially beautiful lake that reminds me of Fontana Lake, though much smaller at less than 2,000 acres. Both lakes are only accessible by road on one side because of mountains and federal land. I’ve spent a lot of time on this lake and want to create a design for it but haven’t yet, hopefully we can get to it soon.

Please consider showing your appreciation of The Ocoee River by picking up some litter during your next visit, many hands make light work.