Hales Bar Dam was a hydroelectric dam on the Tennessee River in Marion County, Tennessee. The Chattanooga and Tennessee River Power Company began building it in 1905 and completed it in 1913, making it one of the first major multipurpose dams and one of the first major dams built across a navigable channel in the United States. In 1939, the Tennessee Valley Authority assumed control after purchasing TEPCO's assets and spent two decades trying to fix leakage that had troubled Hales Bar since its construction. After the leakage continued and expanding the navigation lock was judged too expensive, TVA decided to replace it by building Nickajack Dam 6 miles downstream in 1968. To obtain more electricity from Hales Bar, TVA extended the powerhouse by adding two units; on May 16, 1951, the area for the added section was shown unwatered at left and the completed extension at right.

Photo: Anonymous

Photo: Brandon Fletcher

Photo: Brandon Fletcher

Photo: Brandon Fletcher

Photo: Brandon Fletcher

Photo: Brandon Fletcher