The Cheoah River between Santeetlah Dam and Calderwood Lake is carefully controlled by planned releases of water from Santeetlah Dam, with a minimum base flow provided for most of the year and larger releases about 20 times annually creating high-flow pulses that benefit aquatic life and produce Class IV-V whitewater for expert boaters. When Santeetlah Dam was built in the 1920s to generate hydroelectric power, it nearly cut off the river’s natural flow, greatly reducing or eliminating fish and other aquatic wildlife and allowing trees and shrubs to take root in the dry river channel. In the early 2000s, a cooperative dam relicensing agreement established a flow regime intended to restore more natural conditions by increasing year-round base flows and using larger releases to mimic seasonal heavy rain events, refreshing the river system and surrounding habitats.