About Norris lake

Known as the cleanest lake in Tennessee, Norris Lake is a popular vacation destination!   Norris Lake is a reservoir in East Tennessee. It's the largest lake on a tributary of the Tennessee River. Located in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, it is surrounded by wooded land and wildlife areas.   Norris features 800 miles of shoreline, 34,000 acres, 22 marinas and resorts, 3 state parks, 2 wildlife management areas, 14 different kinds of fish—These are just a few of the reasons why people love to visit!

 Norris Lake was created by the Norris Dam, which was the first project taken on by the TVA as part of the New Deal. Construction began in 1933, and the project was finished in March 1936. The dam cost about $36 million to build.   Construction of the dam also created the nearby town of Norris, TN, which was created to house the workers and their families. 

Norris Dam was primarily built for flood control in the area and it still serves that purpose today. The dam also provides electricity with two generating units, each unit having a generating capacity of 65.7 megawatts.    Norris Lake extends about 73 miles (117 km) up the Clinch River and 56 miles (90 km) up the Powell River from Norris Dam.  The dam and its reservoir have a flood storage capacity of about 1,113,000 acre-feet (1,373,000,000 m^3 or 1.37 km^3). 

Built in 1933 - 1936, Norris Dam is 265 feet (80.7 m) high, and extends 1,860 feet (567 m) across the Clinch River.