The Tennessee Valley Authority formed the Nickajack Dam in southeast Tennessee which made the reservoir. It provides electricity for business customers and local power distributors serving more than 9 million people in parts of seven southeastern states.
It is named after an Indian village that was once home base to the Chickamaugan nation in the late 1700s. Nickajack Dam is located in Jasper, Marion County, TN about 20 miles west of Chattanooga.
What's surprising is how they ship commodities such as grain, pulpwood, wood chips, soybean oil, salt, petroleum, steel products and coal along the reservoir, passing through the Nickajack lock.
There is also the Nickajack Cave, which is an important habitat for the endangered species of migrating gray bats (Mytotis grisescens). The bats use the cave during the spring and summer to give birth and raise their young. At dusk, between late April and early October, the sky darkens as thousands of bats emerge from the mouth of the cave to feed. There is a viewing platform to see the bats emerge from the cave.
The Nickajack Dam and Reservoir is a beautiful place to visit, enjoy the outdoor activities and even stop for a break. read more