Nolichucky Dam

Nolichucky Dam is a dam on the Nolichucky River near Greeneville, Tennessee, maintained by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). The dam is located just over 46 mi upstream from the mouth of the Nolichucky, and impounds Davy Crockett Lake, which extends 6 mi upstream from the dam.

The dam is a concrete gravity overflow type dam 94 ft high and 482 ft long.

Nolichucky Dam was built by the Tennessee Eastern Electric Company (TEEC) in 1912-1913 for hydroelectricity generation. The dam was initially equipped with two generators, and TEEC added two more in 1923. The Tennessee Valley Authority purchased East Tennessee Light & Power in 1945 for a lump sum that included $1.47 million for Nolichucky Dam. TVA made various improvements, and at its height, the dam was capable of producing 10,640 kilowatts of electricity. TVA used the dam for power generation until 1972, when sediment buildup in Davy Crockett Lake made continued electricity generation impractical. The dam and reservoir are now used for flood control and recreation; the reservoir is a wildlife management area. The continued sediment buildup is resulting in upstream flooding.

Heavy rainfall from Hurricane Helene on September 27, 2024 caused major flooding on the Nolichucky River leading the TVA to issue a Condition Yellow warning that the dam could fail or breach. At 12:13 am on September 28 TVA issued a Condition Red Warning and that a breach or failure is imminent, which would cause life threatening flooding in areas below dam. The dam did not fail, however the 111 year old powerhouse had to be torn down due to damage from the floodwaters.