Dams in Tennessee

1,203 damsAvg age: 56 years

250

High Hazard

347

Significant

606

Low Hazard

Dam Safety in Tennessee

Tennessee has 1,203 dams tracked in the National Inventory of Dams. Of these, 250 (20%) are classified as high hazard — meaning failure would probably cause loss of human life — and 347 are classified as significant hazard. Currently, 14 dams in the state have a condition assessment of poor or unsatisfactory, indicating recognized safety deficiencies.

The average dam in Tennessee is 56 years old. The most common purpose for dams in Tennessee is recreation, accounting for 174 of the state's dams.

The federal inventory is not every dam in Tennessee. It includes dams rated high or significant hazard, plus low-hazard dams above a size threshold (taller than 25 feet holding more than 15 acre-feet, or taller than 6 feet holding more than 50 acre-feet). Small, older dams below that line are usually left out, even though they can still shape the streams around them. The state's own dam safety program often tracks many more, and it is the agency that inspects most of them.

Use the search above to find dams near any address in Tennessee, or browse by county below. Each dam listing includes its hazard potential classification, condition assessment, physical characteristics, and inspection history from the NID.

Tennessee Dam Facts

Total Dams	1,203
High Hazard Dams	250
Average Dam Age	56 years
Tallest Dam	447 ft
Largest Reservoir	3,363,168 acre-ft
Poor/Unsatisfactory Condition	14

Notable Dams in Tennessee

Gum Branch Dam447 ftHigh Tennessee Consolidated Coal #1 Dam340 ftLow Watauga Dam332 ftHigh South Holston Dam285 ftHigh Norris Dam265 ftHigh

Explore Tennessee Dams

Oldest DamsEarliest dams in Tennessee Tallest DamsHighest dams in Tennessee

Counties in Tennessee

Anderson4 dams1 high hazard Bedford9 dams2 high hazard Benton13 dams Bledsoe17 dams2 high hazard Blount8 dams4 high hazard Bradley15 dams2 high hazard Campbell5 dams2 high hazard Cannon2 dams Carroll25 dams2 high hazard Carter5 dams3 high hazard Cheatham8 dams2 high hazard Chester11 dams Clay3 dams1 high hazard Cocke2 dams1 high hazard Coffee10 dams3 high hazard Crockett5 dams Cumberland68 dams7 high hazard Davidson22 dams14 high hazard DeKalb1 dams1 high hazard Decatur6 dams Dickson23 dams10 high hazard Dyer24 dams11 high hazard Fayette46 dams2 high hazard Fentress10 dams1 high hazard Franklin14 dams5 high hazard Gibson47 dams3 high hazard Giles5 dams1 high hazard Grainger4 dams Greene6 dams1 high hazard Grundy24 dams5 high hazard Hamblen2 dams Hamilton13 dams4 high hazard Hardeman42 dams4 high hazard Hardin6 dams2 high hazard Hawkins6 dams1 high hazard Haywood19 dams2 high hazard Henderson24 dams2 high hazard Henry34 dams1 high hazard Hickman13 dams2 high hazard Houston3 dams Humphreys15 dams8 high hazard Jackson8 dams5 high hazard Jefferson5 dams1 high hazard Knox1 dams Lake1 dams Lauderdale19 dams3 high hazard Lawrence14 dams3 high hazard Lewis6 dams Lincoln11 dams2 high hazard Loudon7 dams4 high hazard Macon5 dams4 high hazard Madison47 dams5 high hazard Marion12 dams4 high hazard Marshall7 dams1 high hazard Maury28 dams9 high hazard McMinn9 dams McNairy23 dams5 high hazard Meigs1 dams Monroe13 dams3 high hazard Montgomery6 dams Morgan7 dams2 high hazard Obion22 dams5 high hazard Overton8 dams Pickett1 dams Polk13 dams5 high hazard Putnam14 dams2 high hazard Rhea7 dams1 high hazard Roane5 dams1 high hazard Robertson10 dams3 high hazard Rutherford6 dams2 high hazard Scott12 dams3 high hazard Sequatchie10 dams1 high hazard Sevier7 dams5 high hazard Shelby84 dams16 high hazard Smith2 dams1 high hazard Stewart5 dams1 high hazard Sullivan9 dams7 high hazard Sumner24 dams7 high hazard Tipton14 dams1 high hazard Trousdale1 dams Union2 dams Van Buren6 dams1 high hazard Warren8 dams1 high hazard Washington2 dams1 high hazard Wayne3 dams2 high hazard Weakley26 dams4 high hazard White13 dams2 high hazard Williamson36 dams12 high hazard Wilson4 dams3 high hazard

High Hazard Dams in Tennessee

Dam	County	Height	Condition	Purpose
Gum Branch Dam	Anderson	447 ft	Fair	Tailings
Watauga Dam	Carter	332 ft	Not assessed	Flood Risk Reduction
South Holston Dam	Sullivan	285 ft	Not assessed	Flood Risk Reduction
Norris Dam	Campbell	265 ft	Not assessed	Flood Risk Reduction
Calderwood	Blount	230 ft	Satisfactory	Hydroelectric
Douglas Dam	Sevier	202 ft	Not assessed	Flood Risk Reduction
Dale Hollow Dam	Clay	200 ft	Not assessed	Flood Risk Reduction
Cherokee Dam	Jefferson	175 ft	Not assessed	Flood Risk Reduction
Tims Ford Dam	Franklin	175 ft	Not assessed	Flood Risk Reduction
Boone Dam	Washington	160 ft	Not assessed	Flood Risk Reduction
J. Percy Priest Dam	Davidson	147 ft	Not assessed	Flood Risk Reduction
Ocoee No. 1 Dam	Polk	135 ft	Not assessed	Flood Risk Reduction
B Bend Hollow Dam	Sullivan	131 ft	Satisfactory
Chickamauga Dam	Hamilton	129 ft	Not assessed	Flood Risk Reduction
Tellico Dam	Loudon	129 ft	Not assessed	Flood Risk Reduction
Fort Loudoun Dam	Loudon	125 ft	Not assessed	Flood Risk Reduction
Center Hill Dam	DeKalb	125 ft	Not assessed	Flood Risk Reduction
Bluecat Lake Dam	Maury	120 ft	Satisfactory
Pickwick Landing Dam	Hardin	113 ft	Not assessed	Flood Risk Reduction
Ocoee No. 3 Dam	Polk	110 ft	Not assessed	Flood Risk Reduction
Normandy Dam	Coffee	110 ft	Not assessed	Hydroelectric
Melton Hill Dam	Loudon	103 ft	Not assessed	Hydroelectric
Old Hickory Lock and Dam	Davidson	98 ft	Not assessed	Navigation
Fort Patrick Henry Dam	Sullivan	95 ft	Not assessed	Flood Risk Reduction
Nolichucky Dam	Greene	94 ft	Not assessed	Fish and Wildlife Pond
Cordell Hull Lock and Dam	Smith	93 ft	Not assessed	Recreation
North Potato Creek Dam	Polk	92 ft	Satisfactory
Great Falls Dam	White	92 ft	Not assessed	Hydroelectric
Chilhowee	Blount	89 ft	Fair	Hydroelectric
Elk River Dam	Franklin	82 ft	Not assessed	Flood Risk Reduction
Nickajack Dam	Marion	81 ft	Not assessed	Hydroelectric
Campbell Cove Dam	Polk	77 ft	Fair	Water Supply
Wilbur Dam	Carter	76 ft	Not assessed	Flood Risk Reduction
Fall Creek Falls Dam	Van Buren	75 ft	Satisfactory
Lake Tansi Dam	Cumberland	69 ft	Fair	Other
Lakeland Dam	Shelby	68 ft	Satisfactory
Huntsville Dam	Scott	67 ft	Satisfactory	Water Supply
Jennings Creek #17 Dam	Macon	66 ft	Satisfactory
Reedy Creek Dam	Carroll	64 ft	Satisfactory	Recreation
Bucksnort Ranch Dam	Humphreys	63 ft	Not assessed	Recreation
Tellico Dam	Monroe	62 ft	Unsatisfactory
Jennings Creek #18 Dam	Jackson	61 ft	Satisfactory
Hooper Dam	Humphreys	60 ft	Not assessed
Jackson Dam	Franklin	59 ft	Satisfactory	Water Supply
Twin Lakes Dams	Bledsoe	59 ft	Poor	Other
St. George Dam	Cumberland	58 ft	Satisfactory	Recreation
Hidden Lake Dam	Maury	57 ft	Not assessed	Recreation
Brushy Mountain Dam	Morgan	57 ft	Fair
Marrowbone Dam	Davidson	56 ft	Satisfactory
Jennings Creek #13 Dam	Jackson	55 ft	Satisfactory
Reelfoot-indian Creek #18 Dam	Obion	55 ft	Satisfactory	Other
Lambert Dam	Blount	54 ft	Not assessed
Radnor Dam	Davidson	54 ft	Fair	Recreation
Creech Hollow Dam	Dickson	54 ft	Satisfactory
Acorn Dam	Dickson	53 ft	Satisfactory
Sweetwater Creek #15 Dam	Monroe	53 ft	Satisfactory
Billy's Branch Dam	White	52 ft	Satisfactory	Water Supply
Tracy City Lake Dam	Grundy	52 ft	Satisfactory
Lake Graham Dam	Madison	51 ft	Satisfactory
Lake Marian Dam	Sevier	51 ft	Satisfactory	Recreation
Pawlowski Dam	Hickman	50 ft	Not assessed	Fire Protection, Stock, Or Small Fish Pond
Steele Creek Dam	Sullivan	50 ft	Satisfactory
Eblen-powell #2 Dam	Campbell	50 ft	Fair	Recreation
Weatherford-bear Creek #2 Dam	Wayne	49 ft	Satisfactory
Coon Creek Dam	Dyer	48 ft	Satisfactory
Jennings Creek #10 Dam	Jackson	48 ft	Satisfactory
Red Boiling Springs #1 Dam	Macon	48 ft	Satisfactory
Wolf Creek Dam	Humphreys	47 ft	Not assessed	Recreation
Webb Chapel Dam	Obion	46 ft	Satisfactory
Gibson County Lake Dam	Gibson	46 ft	Satisfactory	Recreation
Hurricane Creek #3a Dam	Humphreys	46 ft	Satisfactory
Red Boiling Springs #4 Dam	Macon	46 ft	Satisfactory
Jennings Creek #15 Dam	Jackson	45 ft	Satisfactory
Jennings Creek #3 Dam	Jackson	45 ft	Satisfactory
Reelfoot-indian Creek #1 Dam	Obion	45 ft	Satisfactory
Candlewood Dam	Hardeman	44 ft	Satisfactory
David Crockett Dam	Lawrence	44 ft	Satisfactory
Holiday Lake Dam	Cumberland	44 ft	Satisfactory
Ripshin Lake Dam	Carter	44 ft	Satisfactory	Recreation
Thomas Dam	Marion	44 ft	Satisfactory	Flood Risk Reduction
Jamestown Reservoir Dam	Fentress	44 ft	Satisfactory
Lake Dimmick Dam	Franklin	44 ft	Satisfactory	Recreation
Hurricane Creek #8 Dam	Humphreys	44 ft	Satisfactory
Beech Dam	Henderson	44 ft	Not assessed	Flood Risk Reduction
Johnson Creek #5 Dam	Madison	43 ft	Not assessed
Collins #1 Dam	Davidson	43 ft	Not assessed
Three Cypress Creek #5 Dam	Wayne	43 ft	Satisfactory
P.u.d. Reservoir Dam	Morgan	42 ft	Satisfactory	Water Supply
Red Boiling Springs #2 Dam	Macon	42 ft	Satisfactory
Bob's #1 Dam	Maury	41 ft	Not assessed
Hensley Lake Dam	Monroe	40 ft	Not assessed	Other
Whippoorwill Lake Dam	Maury	40 ft	Satisfactory
Woodhaven Dam	Dickson	40 ft	Satisfactory
Walker Dam	Maury	40 ft	Not assessed	Recreation
Grundy #2 Dam	Grundy	40 ft	Satisfactory
Taft Youth Center Dam	Cumberland	40 ft	Satisfactory	Water Supply
Raccoon Mountain Saddle Dam	Marion	40 ft	Not assessed	Hydroelectric
Monterey Reservoir Dam	Putnam	39 ft	Fair
Pine Hill Dam	Williamson	38 ft	Not assessed
Pressmans Home Dam	Hawkins	38 ft	Unsatisfactory