Tennessee River Updated 31-May-2004

A series of nine long reservoirs . . . the Tennessee River project was a marvel of early 20th Century engineering.

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Tennessee River from Lookout Mountain, near Chattanooga, TN General Description & Characteristics: In the 1930s and '40s, the   Tennessee Valley Authority was created, and the Tennessee River was harnessed in the most massive river navigation project in history.   Nine lock and dam structures converted the river to a series of nine pools, each an enormous reservoir.  This immense system is open from end to end for navigational use, including pleasure cruising. Location and Navigable Mileage: From Knoxville, the Tennessee River flows generally southwestward into the state of Alabama, then bends abruptly northwestwardly, for a time forming the border between Alabama and Mississippi.   Then it flows back into the state of Tennessee, now going almost due north.   Crossing its namesake state, the river flows into Kentucky and finally empties into the Ohio River.  In all, 652 miles of navigation channel are maintained by the US Army Corps of Engineers. Interesting Features: The Tennessee Valley sits squarely in the center of America's beautiful hardwood forest region.  Forested hills, bluffs and ridges line the valley, and camping, boating, and other recreational facilities abound throughout its course.  The Tennessee runs by or through the cities of Chattanooga, Florence, Alabama, and a host of smaller towns along the way. Mooring, Camping, Lodging, Services: The links below will get you started on a search for facilities such as camping, marinas, and the like.  These are only a very few of the myriad of recreational facilities available. This series of lakes is one of the best developed for recreational use in the country. Additional Information: Navigation Information, Charts Maps on line COE chart ordering information TVA chart ordering information USA Waterways.com -- Handy links to lots of information about the Tennessee Connecting Waterways Cumberland River Ohio River Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway and Alabama Rivers Marinas & Boat Rental Resorts & Marinas on Kentucky Lake The Moors Resort and Marina Sequoia Marina Goose Pond Colony Marina Towns, parks, attractions on/near the Waterway COE recreational area information Books A Cruising Guide to the Tennessee River, Tenn-Tom Waterway, and Lower Tombigbee River Prisoners of Myth : The Leadership of the Tennessee Valley Authority, 1933-1990 Paddling the Tennessee River : A Voyage on Easy Water (Outdoor Tennessee Series) - This is about a trip on the entire Tennessee River by canoe! More Pictures . Environmental Issues/Organizations . Acknowledgments/Contributors . Miscellaneous Tennessee Valley Authority web site A good overview of the river profile and dams A cruiser's log on the Tennessee River (Ohio River to Tenn-Tom)