It impounds Wilson Lake and is one of nine Tennesse Valley Authority (TVA) dams on the Tennessee River and is a National Historic Landmark named after President Woodrow Wilson.
Construction on Wilson Dam began in 1918 and was completed in 1924. It was the first federal hydroelectric project and was used as a power supply center for munitions plants in World War l.
The dam is 137 feet high and stretches 4,541 feet across the Tennessee River. The main lock at Wilson Dam is 110 feet wide by 600 feet long. The lock lift is 94 feet and is the highest single lift lock east of the Rocky Mountains. Over 3,700 vessels pass through Wilson Dam's locks each year.
It is also the only neoclassical-style dam in the TVA system, integrating themes of ancient Roman and Greek architecture into the modern structure. It has style AND function.
http://www.lrn.usace.army.mil/history/wilson_lock_and_dam.htm
Our favorite part of the visit to the dam was taking a nap on a picnic table at one of the nice parks adjacent to the river. We really needed a nap and the weather was unseasonably warm and sunny. In fact, just 7 short days earlier school was closed due to snow... We are glad we missed that event!
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