Caney Fork R. Mi. 91.1 off US 70, Rock Island, Tennessee. County/parish: White.
Added to the National Register of Historic Places July 05, 1990. NRIS 90001004.
Part of Pre-TVA Hydroelectric Power Development in Tennessee MPS (NRIS 64500614).
1 contributing building. 5 contributing structures.Also known as:
Great Falls Dam is a hydroelectric dam on the Caney Fork, straddling the county line between White County and Warren County in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the only dam outside the Tennessee River watershed owned and operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority. The dam impounds the 1,830-acre (740 ha) Great Falls Lake, and its tailwaters feed into Center Hill Lake. The completion of Great Falls Dam in late 1916 was an engineering triumph, marking the first successful attempt to impound the volatile and flood-prone Caney Fork. The dam is also notable for its design, utilizing a mostly underground conduit to carry water from the reservoir via a tributary to the Power House 0.75 miles (1.21 km) downstream from the dam.
Great Falls Dam is named for the rapids and waterfalls on the Caney Fork downstream from the dam. The section of river below the powerhouse is world-renowned for whitewater kayaking. The dam and its tailwaters are surrounded by Rock Island State Park.
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