Between the dams

August 12, 2016

We spent two rest days in Grand Rivers. The grand rivers are the Cumberland and the Tennessee. Because of two impressive dams, two enormous lakes have been formed by the rivers. The lakes run parallel to each other for about 50 miles. The area in-between, once known as the land between the rivers, is now called the land between the lakes.

Barkley dam on the Cumberland River forming Lake Barkley.

Kentucky dam on the Tennessee River forming Kentucky Lake.

Lots of barge traffic uses the Tennessee River. A larger lock is under construction at Kentucky dam.

Kentucky dam has a dam good visitor center.

Turbine from Kentucky dam. When construction began on the dam hydroelectric power generation was not planned. World War II created a need for power to support the war effort, so 5 power generation turbines were added to the dam. The generator control room was empty, the dam is remotely controlled from Chattanooga.

Creating the lakes displaced over 2,000 families. Three additional villages were forced to be abandoned when the land between the lakes recreational area was created. The guide at the Kentucky dam visitor center told us "Those people had no choice, they had to move. They gave up their land and their livelihoods. Then again, their livelihood was moonshining."

The land between the lakes is beautiful. The roads are well paved and there was close to no traffic.

Canal connecting lakes Kentucky and Barkley.

Gordon Goose protecting Gabby Goose. "Don't worry honey, I'll honk until they leave."

Here's a geography factoid. The shoreline of Lake Barkley is 1004 miles, almost as long as Hawaii's 1052 mile coastline. The shoreline of Kentucky Lake is 2056 miles in length. Kentucky Lake is the largest reservoir by area east of the Mississippi.

These impressive shorelines don't intimidate those of us from Florida. Florida has over 8000 miles of coastline, second only to Alaska.

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