Cove Lake Dam EarthCache
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Welcome to the Cove Lake Dam.
Cove Lake State Park is 673 acres situated at the base of the
Cumberland Escarpment. An escarpment is a transition from one
series of sedimentary rocks to another series of a different age
and composition. This transition most often involves a sharp, steep
elevation differential which is the case here. For thousands of
years, water flowed down from the nearby mountains into Cove Creek.
The flow of water eroded the limestone along the way carving a path
that led into the Clinch River. The constant level dam at Cove Lake
was built in 1933 by the CCC in conjunction with TVA. The intial
purpose of the dam at Cove Lake was to divert and keep water away
from Norris Dam as it was being built between 1933 and 1936. Other
dams were built around the area to aide in this purpose. The dam at
Cove Lake(constant level dam) today serves to maintain a constant
level of water in the lake at Cove Lake State Park. Once the lake
builds up enough water, it flows over the dam into Norris Lake.
Before construction on Norris Dam was begun in 1933, this area was
just a small creek.
The construction of Norris Dam caused 2,900 families that lived in
the area to be relocated. Norris Lake is the now the largest
reservoir on a tributary of the Tennessee River. There are 809
miles of shoreline on Norris Lake.
There are typically three types of dams, although some may serve
more than one purpose. They are: hydroelectric, weir and constant
level. Hydroelectric dams main purposes are to create electricity.
One example of this is Norris Dam. Power is generated and delivered
througout the Tennessee Valley through Norris Dam. Weir dams main
purposes are to stimulate oxygen flow in the water. An example of
this is Norris Weir Dam. Norris Dam and Norris Weir Dam are 15
minutes away and well worth the time and effort. They are both
listed as earthcaches also.
Always exercise caution around any dam or any body of
water.
You cannot drive to this cache! It WILL require a short
hike.
Parking coords. are at N36 18.457 W084 12.027.
To get credit for this cache, you must complete the following:
Send an e-mail to the owner via the profile answering: What kind of
dam is this?(Should be easy!) What river did Cove Creek flow into?
Post a picture of you with your GPS in hand at the dam when you log
your find.
The area could use some CITO. Please leave it the same or better
than you found it.
I would like to thank Kim Moore, Cove Lake State Park Manager, for
permission for this cache. Park hours are from daylight to dark.
Have fun and be careful!
FTF goes to Slickice4 and
ridgesoarer
Additional Hints
(No hints available.)