Tellico Reservoir
| Tellico Reservoir | |
|---|---|
| Location | Loudon / Monroe counties, Tennessee, United States |
| Coordinates | 35°46′40″N 84°15′35″W / 35.777778°N 84.259722°WCoordinates: 35°46′40″N 84°15′35″W / 35.777778°N 84.259722°W |
| Type | reservoir |
| Basin countries | United States |
Tellico Reservoir, also known as Tellico Lake, is a reservoir in Tennessee, created by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) in 1979 upon the completion of Tellico Dam. The dam impounds the Little Tennessee River and the lower Tellico River. While TVA is careful to refer to its artificial lakes as reservoirs (such as "Tellico Reservoir"), common usage tends to refer to the reservoir as "Tellico Lake". The lake is approximately 16,000 acres in surface area and provides 357 miles of shoreline.
Tellico Reservoir was the last major reservoir created by the TVA, in part due to the snail darter controversy. The completion of Tellico Dam was nearly halted by a landmark decision by the Supreme Court regarding the Endangered Species Act. After Congress specifically exempted Tellico Dam from the Endangered Species Act, the work was finished and Tellico Reservoir created.
The Tellico Reservoir inundated several Native American sites, including the historically significant sites of Chota and Tanasi. The controversial Bat Creek inscription was also discovered adjacent to this lake.
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