Cordell Hull Lake is named after one of America’s outstanding statesmen, Cordell Hull. Cordell Hull was born in a log cabin in the foothills of the Cumberland Mountains.
Hull served in the Tennessee and U.S. House of Representatives and in the U.S. Senate. He served as Secretary of State under President Franklin D. Roosevelt from 1933 to 1944 and negotiated the “Good Neighbor” policy toward Latin America. He was largely responsible for the creation of the United Nations. For his efforts towards promoting world peace and harmony, he was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize in 1945.
In recognition of his contributions to the people of the United States and the world, the Congress of the United States named this lake in honor of one of Tennessee’s finest.
Cordell Hull Lake is located at the base of the Highland Rim on the Cumberland River in Smith, Jackson, and Clay counties of middle Tennessee. The dam is located at river mile 313.5, about 5 miles upstream of the city of Carthage, Tennessee The project is one of the multipurpose projects in the Corps’ of Engineers’ coordinated plan for development of the water resources of the Cumberland River Basin.
Cordell Hull Lake was authorized by Congress through the River and Harbor Act of 1946. Construction of the project, designed and supervised by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, began in May, 1963 and was completed for full beneficial use in November, 1973.
The project is operated for the primary purposes of navigation, hydropower generation, and recreation. It provided an adequate river channel depth and modern lock facilities for through river traffic from above Nashville to the head of navigation near Celina, Tennessee. The power plant produces clean, safe, and efficient hydroelectric power. The lake provides an abundance of recreational opportunities.
Cordell Hull Lake is operated and managed by the Nashville District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.