Big Creek Boat Ramp on Tellico Lake

Phillip and I finished the eastern side of Tellico Lake (from 411 bridge, east) on Monday.  The "new" Big Creek TRDA Boat Ramp is actually on Fairview Road (which I think it has been or is AKA Sink Road).  Anyway, when you leave Vonore on 360 stay on 360 until it comes to a T-intersection.  A left turn keeps you on 360 and goes to Tellico Plains.  A right turn takes you off 360 and now you are on Ballplay Road.  Stay on it for a few miles until you get to an intersection with a road (Fairview) that turns to the left.  This intersection is in a curve.  After turning left stay on that road for a few more miles and the ramp is on your left.  Someone has taken the actual sign but the wooden frame is still there.  On Memorial Day there was still a small blue and white canoe logo sign at the turn off.  The parking lot is large and gravel with a very easy put in for canoes and kayaks.  At the waters edge left is "downstream" toward the lake proper and the right turn is "upstream" which will take you to Tellico Plains.  The water is still flowing very slowly here but you will see the flow stop within a mile of the put-in.  At that point is the actual lake.  TVA actually owns upstream another two miles or so as a part of the Tellico Reservation.

Significant on this stretch of water is this:

*  No jet skis

* No bass boats

* No sounds of motorcycles

* Shallow water

* Three small beautiful coves

* Rock walls

* Rhododendron on the lake shore!

*  There must be small mouth bass here...BUT I did not catch any!

Tellico Blueway (Upper Tellico Lake)

Phillip and I at mile 14 at the TVA strip of land which is mowed and open.  What a beautiful place.  I was told that TVA owned a small strip of land between the water and a property marker.  It is a buffer for no development.  Man am I glad!  Note the cliffs....upper Tellico Lake has lots of these!

This part of the Tellico Blueway map shows the four designated campsites on Cagle Branch.  The three on the north side are all on an old roadbed.  The single site on the south shore is on a not-so-great campsite.  There is not much of a put-in at Sloan Bridge but there is a nice put-in at the Big Creek ramp.

Putting the restored 1954 Old Town back on water

The finished canoe ready to take to Tellico Lake for its first float since about 1982.

Anna in the Captains chair and me on the bow seat.  Man was that wind blowing!  It was back on the water at 2:00, December 2nd, 2009.  Yehaw!

Anna's picture from Facebook.  I LOVE IT!

Back on Annas car to be taken to its new home safe and sound.  The canoe is 16' long, made from wood and canvas, coated with four coats of red paint on the outside and five coats of varnish on the inside.  It weighs exactly 80lbs.

Paddling on Notchy Creek

Very cool cedar growing horizontal over the lake on upper Notchy Creek.  I am trying to paddle all of Tellico from the 411 Bridge east up to Chilhowee Dam and up to where the Tellico River stops running above Sloan Bridge.  I want to go into every cove and side stream.  I have only about 4 miles to go to meet my goal before December 31.  That would be from where Tellico River and Ballplay Creek meet and upstream to Sloan Bridge.

This is at the back of a very pretty cove across the lake from where Notchy Creek empties into Tellico Lake.  Very pretty.  It is the next cove below Kennedy Branch.

This is a really neat rock.  Note the hole all the way through it.  This is between Notchy Creek and Ballplay Creek.  When paddling along the lake banks you get to see all kinds of cool things.

This cliff is between Ballplay and Notchy Creek.  The old road bed is between me and the cliff.  As you get closer you can see the drill marks especially at the top of the cliff.  Apparently road builders either removed the rock to make the road or they used the materials from the cliff to build the road.

Mid-Tellico Paddle

This is the new 2008 Newman Memorial Fishing Pier in Vonore.  Nice place to park and launch a canoe or kayak This is NOT a boat ramp...it is a fishing pier but had great access  the lake for a canoe or kayak.  From Vonore, take 360 and just before the first bridge look for the unsigned road to the left.

With sounds of muskets and canon fire last Saturday, Phillip and I completed my mid-Tellico paddling by marking off several miles around Ft. Loudoun and the 411 bridge area.  One thing I know, the area will look vastly different after the Sequoyah Marina and Resort is complete!  We visited the Tellico Blockhouse, Ft. Loudon reinactment, paddled to the Harbour Place development (which is the first major development along the entire Little T system) and I showed him the first private dock on the main channel as you paddle west or "downstream".   It was a great day with the osprey, deer, hawks, buzzards, crows, squirrels, osage orange trees, late-summer wild flowers and beautiful weather.

The first advertizement along the Little T

This is the first private dock along the whole Little T...it sets in front of a house of the Harbour Place development

This sinkhole is along the lake edge between the old 411 bridge and Harbor Place 

Boy Scouts on Tellico

It has been a while since I posted but here are some pics of our latest BSA trip. We paddled from Harrison Branch down (west) to Four Mile Creek. There is a nice peninsula with a campsite on public land.

Above is our site with all our canoes. See Jeff Meyer with his tarp over the side of his boat? This is a classic canoer move! The Scouts in the foreground are learning about the use of Woods Tools and in the background they are getting ready to prepare meatball marenera for subs.

Dylan and Phillip were our chefs that night. Don't those peppers and onions look good?!

David is practicing throwing a teathered PFD to a "drowning" victim in the pic above.

Hard to see...but its a Bald Eagle. This bird came swirling down and grabbed a fish from the surface of the water and flew to a tree for lunch.

I just love it! Scouts on water in a canoe! Classic!

More paddling pics of the lowered Chilhowee Lake

This is as far as we could paddle into Abrams Creek on 10-2-08. Note how narrow the creek is! This picture was taken about 100 feet above Panther Creek in the main channel

What a terrific geology lesson. This is 51 years of sediment (silt is about 1.5 inches, duff is about six inches, the clay is about six inches then the rock is about four inches then the bedrock and creek)

The exact spot where Abrams Creek dumps into Chilhowee Lake. About 50 feet from Panther Creek

Josh Milton and Rod Ray at the end of the lake

Our College and Career group from our church. I bet we have more paddlers and hikers per ca pita of any church in Blount County!

Low Water on Chilhowee Lake

Here are some good pics of the draw-down on Chilhowee Lake (9-25-08)

This is taken at the Calderwood Community at the end of the boat ramp on the peninsula. Notice that downstream from here all you see is rocks. I have noticed the past week or so that when there is no water being released from Calderwood Lake that between here and Tabcat there is really NO water moving. In fack looking from Tabcat upstream you see this same patter...no water...just rocks. Also in the foreground note the 16' log. There are several of these trees along the shore. I suspect these are from a log float or barge with logs. They are all about the same length and diameter.

There are four bridges at Abrams Creek. Here you see the old highway bridge and the railroad trestle next to it. To the right and out of sight is the current Hwy 129 bridge. Just upstream in Abrams Creek is the 4th bridge...actually just four iron pilings and two rock structures which began and ended the span. So, there are FOUR bridges which have spanned Abrams Creek!

This is Abrams Creek. Here the water is only about 4 inches deep and the stream is only 3 feet wide. From here all the way into Chilhowee Lake the water is colored with silt. Apparently what is happening is farther up stream the water is clear and running over polished rocks. Now as the level has been brought down the water is moving therefore Abrams Creek is flowing where it hasn't since 1957 causing the 51 year build-up of silt to be washed into the lake. If you or I did this we would be fined!

Here is a 1974 Ford Econoline van west of the Parkway Boat Ramp. In front of it are the remains of an older Ford sedan, possibly a Galaxy 500 type of car and we found a boat all in the same area.

Stacked rock walls on the Monroe County side across from Abrams Creek.

Today (9-29-08) the lake is 29' below normal pool (874').

Ballplay Creek on Tellico

I can't tell you the numbers of Great Blue Herons I have seen on the lakes. They are always at waters edge and seem to be territorial. We also saw several geese, kingfishers and heard several ducks in the brush along the creek.
This is at the back of Tellico on Ballplay Creek. At the end of the lake proper, contune paddling to the left of center and you will find the creek. It is a small body of water with a tunnel of trees so you can get out of the heat. Just as you enter the creek there is a mowed patch of land just enough to get on shore.
I counted three beaver dams and one small lodge in the creek. This one is the first I found. It is on the left about a 100 yards up stream. A tree had fallen across the stream or we would have gone farther. Phillip and I only made it to the 2nd set of power lines.

Babcock Trestle on Tellico

14. That's how many concrete pillars there are to the Babcock RR Trestle on Tellico Lake. To see this historical site stay on Hwy 129 just past the Harrison Branch boat ramp. Look to your right and you will see it. By canoe or kayak put in at the boat ramp and paddle up stream about a 1/2 mile. Can't miss it. The train came down to the Little T and was held above the water by these 14 pillars. The following story tells you just how important and profitable logging was at the turn of the century. In 1905 the Babcock Lumber and Boom Company of Davis, West Virginia began a new venture in Monroe County. They partnered with the Tellico River Lumber Company to bring out timber from areas such as Jeffries Hell in the upper Tellico area. In 1907 Babcock formed the Babcock Lumber and Land Company in Alcoa because they knew that Maryville would be the closet town to handle the mass of lumber coming out of the mountains. By 1916 Babcock purchased 350 acres of land in Alcoa (at East Edison and North Wright Road...where the city of Alcoa is building their new Operations Center). In fact their website says that the Alcoa lumber mill was the most modern in the world and lumber workers came from all over the world to see it. During the same time they built a railroad system to connect the lumber yard in Alcoa to the work site in Tellico. So, in 1918 the "siding" was completed thus the rail bridge over the Little Tennessee River was in use. By 1934 their work was completed and the project and facilities were sold to another lumber company.
Just upstream from the trestle, and a few yards above the Tallassee boat ramp, are two interesting items. One, is this cart that seems to be hanging from a cable and steel supports. Next to it is the photo below of the apparent gauging station. I do not know any history regarding these two structures but I hope someone can tell me.
Phillip and I paddled right up to the flood gates of the Chilhowee Dam.

The Infamous Calderwood Tunnel

This is Charlie Wimmer in the bow near the north end of the tunnel. We had to lay on our backs and pull our way through the tunnel. Too bad we could not go all the way through!


Here we are at the south end (upper end). Notice the "light at the end of the tunnel". That is as far as the tunnel goes. This was built in 1914 to allow a Southern Railway train to operate along the river bank of the Little Tennessee River to the Santeelah and Cheoah dam construction sites. If I am not mistaken this would be the same train that ran along side the river bank and across Babcock Trestle and into Maryville. wonder if it was the same one which carried loads of slate from the Panther Creek slate quarry "1886 Abrams Creek Roofing Slate Company)?
The lake itself is about 541 acres, 6.5 miles long and the dam is 232' high making this lake about 273' higher than Tellico lake! That's a lot of water being held back! The crews built the dam but left a passageway at the base of the dam for the train to operate throughout construction. The tunnel through the dam was between floodgate 7 and 8. I believe the dam was finished in 1930 so that means the river, railroad and this tunnel has all been covered for 78 years. Now here is the cool part...rumor has it that there are some flat cars still on the tracks inside the tunnel. One day I will SCUBA this tunnel and post more picts of what lies beneath!

Chilhowee Lake to be lowered? Fact or Fiction?

Mike Wood paddling Chilhowee

Chilhowee Reservoir has been pulled down a total of 26 ' as of today (9-22-08). Normal pool is 874'...today is is at 848'. Several vehicles have already been located at two ramps and divers indicate several more are seen and will be recovered later. The advertised lowest pool level will be +/- 855-850' (20-25') lower than normal through next summer.

ITS A FACT! Here are three articles..

From the Associated Press:

"MARYVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- The level of Chilhowee Lake will be lowered so the dam that impounds it can be repaired. ALCOA Inc., which owns the dam in Blount County and uses it to generate electricity for its aluminum plant, expects repairs to cost up to $8 million.
if The Daily Times reported that a depression was found in the dam in 2000 and has been monitored by Alcoa Power Generating Inc., which determined the hole didn't threaten the immediate integrity of the dam. Beginning Sept. 2, the water level will be drawn down about two feet per day until it is reduced by 20 to 25 feet.The repairs should be completed by early next year.
------
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)"

FROM THE DAILY TIMES:

"ALCOA to repair Chilhowee Dam; reservoir drawdown starts Sept. 2

From Staff Reports
On Sept. 2, ALCOA Inc. will begin lowering the water level of Chilhowee Lake so repairs can be made to the dam. A depression or sinkhole-like area -- called by the company a settlement or subsidence -- was discovered in 2000 on the south embankment of the dam. It is generally in the shape of an upside down ice cream cone 5 or 6 feet in diameter at its top and extends down about 20 feet to bedrock.Alcoa Power Generating Inc. (APGI), Tapoco Division, has been monitoring the depression and reported no "safety or integrity" issues were identified.The reservoir will be lowered one to two feet per day until the water level reaches a maximum drawdown of about 20-25 feet in mid- to late-September. The repairs should be complete by late 2008 or early 2009, according to APGI. Cost is estimated at $6 million to $8 million. Tapoco will be able generate electricity at the dam during the project at a reduced capacity.The work will consist of repairing the subsidence and stabilizing the shoreline to prevent erosion. APGI will also take advantage of the drawdown to install artificial fish attractors to improve aquatic habitat. Ray Barham, Tapoco Technical Manager for APGI, said the area to be repaired will be excavated down to the bedrock. The bedrock will be regrouted and the clay core will be built back up. As the core is rebuilt, the lake level will be gradually raised.Barham said the condition of the dam could have resulted from construction techniques used at the time it was built in 1957. The depression is still settling and the company has done what it can with nondestructive techniques to deal with the problem, according to Barham, so APGI has decided to fix it now rather than wait and make more expensive repairs later. "It continues to settle. Long-term it could result in more extensive settlement that could result in a safety issue," he said. Multi-agency involvement APGI worked with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to develop the corrective action plan and solicited help from several agencies in an effort to lessen the impact of the planned repair and reservoir drawdown. Together, these agencies and APGI have implemented plans to avoid or minimize adverse effects to historic properties, fish and wildlife, infrastructure and the residents of neighboring communities, the company said in a statement."We appreciate the valuable input and collaboration received from the Tennessee Historical Commission, the U.S. Forest Service, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Tribal Historic Preservation Office and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and we look forward to continuing to work with them throughout the duration of this project," Barham said. Some access to close during the drawdown and construction period, some public access areas boat ramps and roads will be closed. These closures include: The Chilhowee Reservoir public access area; Boat ramps at Pear Tree, Calderwood Village, Tabcat Creek, Gravel Pile and Happy Valley; Mt. Pleasant Road at Chilhowee Dam (closed starting Aug. 29). Other recreational facilities will remain open, including Highway 129 day use areas, Chigger Beach and Pear Tree facilities for camping or picnicking. Recreational areas at Tapoco's other reservoirs -- Calderwood, Cheoah and Santeetlah -- will remain open. "We apologize, in advance, for any inconvenience this may cause residents or recreationalists," said Barham. "Our goal is to safely repair the embankment and then bring reservoir back to normal water level as quickly as possible."In the interest of safety and resource protection, officers with APGI, Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, the National Park Service and the Blount County and Monroe County Sheriff's offices will be patrolling and monitoring Chilhowee Reservoir frequently during the drawdown.The main section of Chilhowee Dam is concrete. It stands 65 feet high and forms the 1,734-acre reservoir.On each side of the concrete dam are embankment dams made of clay, sand, dirt and rock. The embankment dams connect the concrete structure to the shoreline and hold back water on both sides of the dam.Chilhowee Lake is located within Blount and Monroe counties along Calderwood Highway (U.S. 129). The reservoir is maintained by APGI. Tapoco is a division of APGI, a wholly owned subsidiary of ALCOA Inc. The Tapoco Division of APGI supplies electric power to the aluminum smelting and rolling mill at Alcoa's Tennessee Operations.Throughout the repair project, updates will be provided at www.alcoa.com/tapoco.
Originally published: August 22. 2008 3:01AMLast modified: August 22. 2008 1:17PM "

FROM ALCOA, INC WEBSITE:

"The Tapoco Division of Alcoa Power Generating Inc. (APGI) owns and operates the Tapoco Project. The Tapoco Project is a four-development hydroelectric project located in the western portion of the Little Tennessee Watershed on the Little Tennessee and Cheoah Rivers in Graham, Swain, Blount, and Monroe Counties in North Carolina and Tennessee. The Tapoco Project is licensed by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission as Project No. 2169. The Tapoco Division operates the Project to provide power for Alcoa’s aluminum smelting and rolling operations in Alcoa, TN. The Tapoco Project includes four reservoirs —Santeetlah, Cheoah, Calderwood, and Chilhowee— that offer a variety of recreation opportunities and provide important habitat for plants, fish and wildlife. This website provides information about the Project’s developments, news, regulatory issues, shoreline management, and other environmental information. "

Hazel Creek with Brandon (summer '08)

We set up a shelter at campsite 86 at the mouth of Hazel Creek in case we had to eat in the rain or wait a storm out to cross back over. Guess what? No rain and no fish! Ha ha ha. So, we ate crackers and paddled fast so we could eat at Fontana Village deli.

Can you believe this crayfish claw?!!!! Its about 4" long! Makes me want to think twice about sticking my toes in the water!

Portaging back to the lake from #86

Sumer view of Hazel Creek at the area of where the bridge is located. Now look at the next picture...

In the winter draw-down (November 2006). Brandon and I were paddling at the top of the waterline. Now that's a lot of water that is drawn out every year! Hard to believe we are in a drought huh!

TVA Campsites on Tellico (8-22-08)

What a day! I began at Smoky Branch and paddled across the main channel to the south shore and then paddled up to Little Toqua Creek. Now that little cove is great! I will scan my map to show exactly where but there is a nice campsite in this cove that has a grassy put-in. It is not trashed either. Once I paddled back out to the main channel I floated past the TRDA and TWRA boat ramps. Just past there is a sandy shore that begins the Tellico Wildlife Management Area. At this spot is THE best view of the mountains at the widest spot on Tellico. It was amazing. I will be going back there...since I left my camera at home. I paddled to the day marker on that shore, crossed the main channel and proceeded back up the river along the opposite shore. Up just about a mile there are two coves...one smaller and one larger. The west one goes up into the cove for about 300 yards and ends where a creek flows into the lake. On your left going in look for the neatly arranged sticks and logs where a beaver has built a lodge. I have only seen about 4 or 5 of these on Tellico. This one is small but neat. The second cove goes back about a mile (?) or so and dead ends like the more western cove does. You have to visit this one for sure. It has two TVA campsites with tent pads and lantern poles. Sorry...no picnic tables. One is on the point at the main channel and the other is about 200 yards or so in on the left. Go back farther and see a nicely built tower/platform which provides you with a rope to swing out over the lake. Go a bit farther and there is another campsite on the right (not an official TVA site) and go back a little farther and there is another campsite on the right (not TVA). Go farther and you ride through a tunnel of trees to the back where it is about 2' deep. The two TVA sites are really nice. I will post a pic when I go back. By the way this loop I did today went over the Cherokee towns of Toqua and Tomotley. Also you will float over a Mississippian era Indian Mound that is now covered with about 20' of water (or maybe less). Good day.. Plenty of herons, geese, ducks, mayfly's, small birds, kingfishers and a few osprey.

Mid Tellico Lake

Today, Tellico was full of these mayflys. One paddled with me about the whole day.

I paddled near a bush to get out of the sun for a while and when I backed up look what jumped on board. Click to make the image larger. This guy also rode with me for a while. He would march back and forth from the tip of the bow to about midships then back...over and over. He finally abandoned ship.

I was not aware of this! What are the "contaminants?

Anyway today I paddled the section from Smoky Branch to the Virginian Fort and back. I stayed to the far bank all the way up and the near bank all the way back. I saw two Bald Eagles, several black ducks, 1 goose, several kingfishers and a few osprey. I was able to watch an osprey dive straight into the water, completley submerge and come back up with a fish in its talons. So cool!