Construction of the J. Percy Priest Dam and Reservoir began on June 2, 1963. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers project was named for Priest, a teacher and Tennessean editor who served in Congress from 1940 until his death in 1956. Several small communities, including nearby Couchville, were destroyed during the creation of the lake. Dedicated on June 29, 1968, Percy Priest Dam generates Tenn. Valley Authority energy, and the 14,200-acre lake provides many recreational opportunities.