Norris Lake will reach summer level by weekend
Norris Lake should be at full summer pool level by this weekend, TVA says. This is how it looked on Tuesday morning, in this view of Norris Dam Marina shot from the top of the dam. (photo:G. Chambers Williams III )
That’s because the recent heavy rains came just in time, said Darrell Guinn, senior manager of TVA’s River Forecast Center in Knoxville.
“Up until a weekend ago, the lake was still five feet low,” he said Monday.
“But we finally got the rainfall we needed, and the lake should be at summer level by the end of the week.”
The River Forecast Center manages lake levels behind all 49 TVA dams, 29 of which also have hydroelectric generation capability, Guinn said – which accounts for 10% of TVA’s total power production.
TVA aims to have the lakes in its system at summer levels for recreation by June 1 each year, after lowering them for the winter to allow for heavy winter and spring runoff. But there was some concern about reaching summer level in Norris Lake this year because of the lack of sufficient rainfall.
Also on Memorial Day, TVA will begin its schedule of “tailwater recreational releases” from certain dams to generate water flow below the dams to support trout fishing, Guinn said.
Tailwater release schedules may be found online at TVA.com, and also on the TVA Lake Info app that is available for download on smartphones, he said.
Guinn also warned that boaters and other recreational users of Norris and other TVA lakes should be on the lookout for “floating debris” that is dislodged as the water levels rise.
Norris Dam, finished in 1936, was the first dam in the TVA system.
It was built for flood control and power generation, and includes 72 miles of the Clinch River and 56 miles of the Powell River. Both rivers originate in Southwest Virginia, and merge just above Norris Dam..