Watauga Lake
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Watauga Lake, located in rural northeastern Tennessee, was created by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). This scenic reservoir was created for flood control and hydropower generation, by damming Watauga River and Elk River (North Carolina) at the end of 1948.
Watauga Lake is surrounded by the Appalachian Mountains and the Cherokee National Forest. According to the TVA's Reservoir Operations Study (completed in 2004), the lake is 16.3 miles long, with 104.9 miles of shoreline. At full pool, the TVA's summertime water level target, its water surface covers 6,430 acres (10.05 square miles). Its estimated depth is 265 feet at the dam. At full pool, Watauga's elevation is the highest of all TVA lakes at 1,959 feet above sea level.
Watauga Lake is regularly released by TVA schedule into Wilbur Reservoir (Wilbur Lake) and impounded by the TVA's Wilbur Dam. Another much smaller nearby lake that is not part of the TVA system is the Ripshin Lake located 6 miles SW of Roan Mountain.
More than half of Watauga Lake's shoreline lies within the Cherokee National Forest and cannot be developed. Recreational uses include boating, fishing, water-skiing, and camping. The release of impounded water from Watauga Dam and Wilbur Dam provides additional downstream riverine recreational opportunities such as whitewater rafting and kayaking on the Watauga River. There is no horsepower limit or speed limit for boats operating on the lake. Several fee-based public and private boat launch ramps provide access on the Hampton side of the reservoir.
The original town of Butler sits at the bottom of Watauga Lake. "New" Butler was relocated to higher ground at the edge of Watauga Lake before the reservoir was dammed by the TVA. Other nearby Tennessee cities and communities include Hampton, Elizabethton, Roan Mountain, Mountain City, Johnson City, and Bristol. The lake covers parts of Johnson County, Tennessee and Carter County, Tennessee.
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