Ocoee River Highlights

In 1912, in response to the rapidly growing desire for household electricity, the first dam was built on the Ocoee River (Ocoee Dam #1) by the East Tennessee Power Company, becoming one of the first major hydroelectric dams in the United States, and sent power to major cities throughout Tennessee. Its success led to the construction of Ocoee Dam #2 a few years later, which would go on to generate power for the region ever since.

In 1939, the creation of the TVA gave the group authority over the two dams, where the engineers would marvel at their design while working to generate more power for the area. They would go on to construct a third dam in the 1940s along the river, and would continue to maintain the historical processes and operations initially designed on the three dams.

In 1975, TVA determined that the wooden flume in Ocoee Dam #2 was in need of replacement due to the rotten wood. They were determined to maintain its historical significance by replacing the flume with another wooden one, and released the river during this time for the first time since 1913. For five miles, rapids up to Class V began ripping down the area, and with the rise of recreational whitewater rafting, people from all over the south began to try their hand at it. With tourists beginning to enter the area from all over to whitewater raft, the town began to build up around it to meet their needs, and outfitters began to form around the put-in locations.

When the Ocoee Dam #2 restoration was completed in 1982, businesses and residents from the area fought to maintain the area as a place for whitewater recreation (and won). The compromise was that the water could run for 5 days a week, and the dam could work for 2 days a week during the summer season. To manage this area, a partnership was determined between the private outfitters, US Forestry Service, TVA, and Tennessee State Parks to not only continue the power generation for the area, but also provide safe recreation for visitors who came to enjoy the river.

In 1996, the river gained international notoriety when it successfully balanced outdoor recreation without lasting damage or ecological footprints while hosting the Canoeing and Kayaking events in the Atlanta Summer Olympics. Annually, the river is revisited by Olympians and Olympic hopefuls as the conditions provide the unique opportunity to see progress with its consistent flow.

Copper Basin

In the mid-to-late 1800s, due to a boom in industry, a 26-mile area along the Ocoee River called Copper Basin, TN, became a haven for mining due to it's richness in copper ore, sulfur, iron, and zinc. Unfortunately, due to this overmining, production of sulfuric acid due to copper smelting, and poor farming practices in the area, the land was depleted of nutrients and became a vast, polluted desert so large that it could be seen from space (similarly to the Great Wall of China). This led to acid rain and pollution of the river itself. Three years after the end of active mining, the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the TVA and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation began their work to restore and revegetate the land. 

Ruth's Golden Aster

Ocoee River State Park is home to the incredibly rare Ruth's Golden Aster, a flower that exists in only two places in the entire world. In September, visitors are most likely to be able to see it near the Double Suck Rapids. The park continues to work on its natural preservation with help from the US Forestry Service and TVA.