Dale Hollow Lake and Dam

US ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS                                                                            BUILDING STRONG®

                                                                               FACT SHEET

                                                                         (As of August 2012)

AUTHORIZATION: Flood Control Act of 1938 (P.L. 75-761); Rivers and Harbors Act of 1946 (PL 79-525).

TYPE OF PROJECT: Multi-purpose: Hydropower, Flood Risk Management, Recreation, Water Supply, Water Quality and Environmental Stewardship.

LOCATION: Dale Hollow Dam is located approximately 3 miles east of Celina, Tenn. on the Obey River, 7.3 miles above its confluence with the Cumberland River. Dale Hollow Lake covers portions of Clay, Pickett, Overton, and Fentress Counties in Tennessee and Clinton and Cumberland Counties in Kentucky. Being situated in the rolling hills of middle Tennessee and southern Kentucky, the lake provides exceptional recreational opportunities including fishing, hunting, camping, picnicking, boating, canoeing, hiking, as well as many other outdoor recreation activities.

CONGRESSIONAL INTEREST: Alexander (TN), Corker (TN), Black (TN-6), DesJarlais(TN-4), Whitfield (KY-1), McConnell (KY), Paul (KY)

NON-FEDERAL SPONSOR:

·   Hydropower Users thru SEPA

·   Water Supply Customers

·   State Parks and State Fish and Wildlife Agencies

BACKGROUND:

·        Dale Hollow Dam is one of ten major dams on the Cumberland River system. The project was completed for flood control in 1943. Hydropower generating units were added in 1948, 1949, and 1953.

·        The dam stands at a maximum height of 200 feet above the bed of the river and has a total crest length of 1,717 feet.  The dam impounds Dale Hollow Lake, a reservoir able to contain and store a maximum of 1,706,000 acre feet of water.  The dam provides 353,000 acre feet of flood storage capacity for a 935 square mile drainage basin.

·        The power plant operates three, main turbine-generator units having a combined rated capacity of 54,000 kilowatts.

·        Dale Hollow Lake reaches 61 miles upstream from Dale Hollow Dam. There are 620 miles of shoreline, 27,700 acres of water and 24,842 acres of land at normal summer pool (elev. 651). Over 2.8 million people visit the lake’s 10 Corps managed recreation areas, 4 campgrounds (407 sites), 7 picnic areas (192 picnic sites), 3 swimming beaches, 34 primitive camping locations (80 sites), 5 hiking trails, 15 commercial marinas, 1 State Park and 2 out granted group camps. Dale Hollow Lake is a regional tourist vacation destination attracting a significant number of visitors from Ohio and Indiana in addition to hosting local Tennessee and Kentucky visitors

IMPORTANCE: Dale Hollow Power Plant, which produces approximately 127 million kilowatt hours of electricity annually, has the capacity to provide power quickly in order to meet peak power demands. Dale Hollow hydropower is renewable, reliable, clean, and efficient power.  Hydroelectric power generation saves valuable fossil fuels for future generations.  The Dale Hollow Lake Resource Manager’s Office is responsible for environmental stewardship of over 52,542 acres of water and land, thus protecting valuable natural resources and ensuring proper use of public property.  The lake also hosts over 2.7 million visitors annually with outdoor recreational opportunities bringing $67 million into local economies.

STATUS:

·  Estimated average annual hydropower energy output is 127,000,000 kilowatt. 

·  $67 million Recreation related economic impact to local economy (FY 2011)

·  $652 thousand Recreation User Fees collected (FY 2011)

BUDGET ($): Estimated project costs are shown below.

Completion:  This is an on-going operating project

For more information regarding the Dale Hollow Lake and Dam project, contact Resource Manager Stephen Beason, phone: (931) 243-3136, email:  Stephen.C.Beason@usace.army.mil.