Watts Bar Lakeis areservoiron theTennessee Rivercreated byWatts Bar Damas part of theTennessee Valley Authoritysystem.
| Watts Bar Lake | |
|---|---|
 View from just north of TVA Watts Bar in Decatur, Tennessee | |
  Watts Bar Lake  Watts Bar Lake | |
| Location | Meigs/Rhea/Roane/Loudoncounties,Tennessee,U.S. |
| Coordinates | 35°37′15″N84°46′54″W/ 35.62083°N 84.78167°W |
| Type | reservoir |
| Primary inflows | Tennessee River,Clinch River,Emory River |
| Primary outflows | Tennessee River |
| Basincountries | United States |
| Max. length | 72.4 mi (117 km) |
| Surface area | 39,000 acres (16,000 ha; 61 sq mi) |
| Max. depth | 108 ft (33 m) |
| Surface elevation | 741 feet (226 m) |
Geography
editLocated in the U.S. state ofTennesseeabout midway between the cities ofChattanoogaandKnoxville,the lake begins as the Tennessee River belowFort Loudoun Dam(35°47′30″N84°14′34″W/ 35.79167°N 84.24278°W) inLenoir City, Tennesseeand stretches 72.4 miles (116.5 km) toWatts Bar Dam(35°37′15″N84°46′55″W/ 35.62083°N 84.78194°W), nearSpring City, Tennessee.TheClinch Riverconnects to the main channel of the lake at mile 568 (35°51′50″N84°31′50″W/ 35.86389°N 84.53056°W) near Southwest Point (site ofAndrew JacksonandJohn Sevier's 1803 confrontation[1]) inKingston, Tennessee.The widening of the Clinch by the lake makes that river navigable all the way up toMelton Hill Dam(35°53′5″N84°18′0″W/ 35.88472°N 84.30000°W), which is equipped with a navigation lock allowing navigation upstream throughOak RidgeandClinton.The partially navigableEmory Riverconnects with the Clinch near the TVA'sKingston Steam Plantjust upriver from the meeting with the Tennessee. Including the Clinch and Emory arms, Watts Bar has 722 miles (1,160 km) of shoreline and over 39,000 acres (160 km2) of water surface. Minor tributaries includePoplar Creek,Caney Creek, and White's Creek. The lake contains several large islands, most notably Thief Neck Island, Long Island, and Sand Island.
History
editWatts Bar Lake was affected by the 2008Kingston Fossil Plant coal fly ash slurry spill.
Recreation
editWatts Bar's sport fishing ratings forcrappie,black crappie,largemouth bass,andspotted bassare at or near the top in the TVA system.[2](The state of Tennessee advises against eating fish caught in certain areas of the lake due toPCBcontamination.)[3]The area also provides many opportunities forbirdwatching,with an extremely large population ofgreat blue herons,over 120 nesting pairs ofosprey,and a fewbald eaglesliving on or near the lake.[4]Several parks and camps are located on the lake, including the John Knox Center[5]and theBoy ScoutfacilityCamp Buck Toms.[6]