Through working with TVA on the Reservoir Operation Study, American Whitewater staff requested that TVA work with the paddling community to develop a method of alerting paddlers to uncontrolled spills in the Hiwassee Dry Gorge. This Gorge, near the Ocoee and Tellico rarely runs because of TVA’s Appalachia Dam and bypass tunnel which divert the river into a tunnel for the length of the Dries.
AW staff recieved a call from the TVA this morning indicating that Appalachia dam would be spilling approximately 1600 cfs from Saturday, February 7th at 10 am until some time the following wednesday. We would like to thank TVA for this alert and acknowledge that TVA has been significantly more collaborative with the paddling community than in the past. We hope to develop a method for alerting paddlers to all spills on this reach in the future.
NOTE: These are not recreational releases, and are subject to change at any time, however TVA did indicate they intend to stick to the previously described flows.
UPDATE: TVA does not allow public access at the Appalachia Power House on river left, so please use an alternate take-out.