It was a day full of curiosities as we started downriver. Starting with a rare sighting of an Oscar Mayer Weinermobile in downtown Chattanooga, complete with Wisconsin license plates!
Next was this volleyball net in the water in the middle of the Tennessee Gorge. We were in 30 feet of water about 30 yards away, and could only assume that there was a sandbar there where folks could stand.
The mass of concrete below is part of the Tennessee Valley Authority’s largest and most unique hydroelectric facility, the Raccoon Mountain Reservoir Plant. Working like an enormous storage battery, water is pumped from here to fill a reservoir on the top of the mountain when electrical demand is low. When demand is higher, water is released from the reservoir and travels through a tunnel drilled through the center of the mountain to drive hydroelectric generators in an underground power plant.
Lastly, this other massive structure is the historic Hales Bar Dam Powerhouse. Completed in 1913 and one of few privately-built hydroelectric projects, the dam was plagued with chronic leaks. The TVA assumed control in 1939 and spent more than two decades trying to repair the leaks before giving up and removing the dam after the Nickajack Lock was opened in 1965. The powerhouse is now used mainly for storage for the nearby Hales Bar Resort and Marina, where we’re spending tonight. It is also home to a small whisky distillery and a seasonal haunted house, which we will not be visiting.
The river was busy with pleasure craft on a beautiful 80-degree Sunday, and the Gorge was even prettier with the sun out. The weather is forecast to turn sharply lower this week, as a cold front crosses much of the country.
No comments:
Post a Comment