Cherokee Reservoir

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Cherokee Reservoir

Town(s): Bean Station TN, Jefferson City TN, Rutledge TN, Talbott TN
County:
Local Name: Holston River

Size: 30300 acres
Average Depth: 55 feet
Maximum Depth: 150 feet

Boating Allowed: Kayaks, Canoes, Sail Boats, Electric Motor Boats, Power Boats, Jet-skis, State & Local Rules & Regulations Apply
Swimming: Swimming Allowed, Some Restrictions

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Cherokee was built to generate hydroelectric power during the World War II emergency, but it also plays an important role as one of the chain of TVA-managed reservoirs that have prevented billions of dollars in flood damage over the years.

Cherokee Dam is on the Holston River in East Tennessee, 52 miles upstream from the point at which the Holston and French Broad rivers converge to form the Tennessee River.

Cherokee Reservoir is named for the tribe of Native Americans who once inhabited the area. The Great Indian Warpath, once followed by Daniel Boone, crossed the basin now filled by the reservoir.

Cherokee Reservoir is a popular recreation destination. Along its shoreline are public access areas, county and municipal parks, commercial boat docks and resorts, a state park and a state wildlife management area. There are many tent and trailer sites for campers.

Fishing is popular at Cherokee. The reservoir’s fish population is very similar to that found in other East Tennessee reservoirs—black bass, sauger, walleye, crappie, various sunfish and the usual rough-fish species.

Cherokee was built to generate hydroelectric power during the World War II emergency, but it also plays an important role as one of the chain of TVA-managed reservoirs that have prevented billions of dollars in flood damage over the years.

Cherokee: Facts + Figures

Construction of Cherokee Dam began in Aug. 1, 1940 and was completed on a crash schedule on Dec. 5, 1941.

The reservoir has nearly 400 miles of winding shoreline and about 28,780 acres of water surface.

The dam is 175 feet high and stretches 6,760 feet, or well over a mile, from one end to the other.

In a year with normal rainfall, the water level in Cherokee Reservoir varies about 30 feet from summer to winter to provide seasonal flood storage.

Cherokee has a flood-storage capacity of 749,400 acre-feet.

Cherokee Dam is a hydroelectric facility. It has four generating units with a net dependable capacity of 148 megawatts. Net dependable capacity is the amount of power a hydroelectric dam can produce on an average day, minus the electricity used by the dam itself.

 

Vegetation Growth: Unknown
Non-native Species:

Boat Access: Access for Power and Non-power Boats
Parking Spaces: More than 40

Shoreline Development: Unknown