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1981 Map of Watts Bar Lake

Name: 1981 Topographic Map of Watts Bar Lake
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1984
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1984

About this map

Watts Bar Lake and the winding Tennessee River dominate this regional landscape during a period of significant industrial and energy development. The map documents the footprint of the Tennessee Valley Authority's infrastructure, from the Watts Bar Dam to the Watts Bar Nuclear Plant, then under construction, and the proposed Clinch River Breeder Reactor. This era saw the recent creation of Tellico Lake and the established waters of Fort Loudoun Lake, reflecting the total transformation of the river valley into a managed reservoir system.

Beyond the water, the geography is defined by the sharp transition between the Cumberland Plateau and the ridge-and-valley terrain to the east. Long-standing transportation corridors like the Southern Railway and Interstate 40 connect industrial hubs like Oak Ridge, Kingston, and Maryville. Geologists and local historians can trace the unique karst topography of Grassy Cove or the planned community at Cumberland Homesteads, illustrating the varied social and natural history of East Tennessee.