A portion of Dandridge would have been flooded by the waters of Douglas Lake if the Tennessee Valley Authority had not built a dike. The top of the dike stands at an elevation of 1009 feet, seven feet above the dam's crest gates. Without it, all of the business district, the Jefferson County Courthouse, county jail, and approximately 1000 feet of Highway 92 would have been below the reservoir's maximum water level. Dandridge was the center of opposition to Douglas Dam because of the loss of more than 60,000 acres of fertile agricultural land. The Douglas Reservoir was critical to providing the power needed for the Manhattan Project in Oak Ridge. Begun in 1942, construction on the Douglas Project was completed within 382 days to capture the 1943 winter rains and produce the needed hydroelectric power.