Science & Tech
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Fontana Dam, the highest concrete dam east of the Rocky Mountains, was built from 1942 to 1944 across the Little Tennessee River. It is 480 feet high and 2,385 feet long, with a flood storage capacity of 580,000 acre-feet. Fontana Reservoir provides 238 miles of shoreline and 10,230 acres of water surface for recreation, and its water level can vary by about 50 feet in a normal year. The powerhouse has three units capable of supplying 238,500 kilowatts of electricity. The Appalachian Trail crosses the dam, and TVA operates the Tennessee River system and its tributaries, including the Little Tennessee River, to provide navigation, flood control, water quality, power supply, recreation, and land use benefits to the surrounding area.
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