The Tennessee Valley Authority’s 24-MW Ocoee Dam No. 1 project has reached its centennial milestone.

Ocoee Dam No. 1, on the Ocoee River, is one of the first hydro projects built in the Tennessee Valley and was completed in 1911 by the East Tennessee Power Company. Ocoee Dam No. 1 dam is 135 feet high and 840 feet long. It provides flood storage capacity of 19,000 acre-feet in Parksville Reservoir.

TVA acquired both Ocoee Dam No. 1 and Ocoee Dam No. 2 in 1939. TVA built Ocoee No. 3 in 1942. A section of river below Ocoee Dam No. 3 was the whitewater venue for the 1996 Olympics.

The Ocoee Dam No. 1 powerhouse contains five turbine-generating units. In 1990, Ocoee Dam No. 1 underwent a major modernization.

“This dam changed the standard of living, the economy and the recreational opportunities in this area as it shaped the Ocoee River,” says John McCormick, senior vice president of TVA River Operations.

TVA held a community celebration on September 24 that included food, music, public tours of the power plant and informational displays. In addition, winners were announced in an art and essay contest for local students about their favorite Ocoee experiences.

TVA, a corporation owed by the U.S. government, provides electricity for 9 million people in parts of seven southeastern states. 

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