Cheoah Dam

---

title: "Cheoah Dam" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["dams-on-the-little-tennessee-river", "dams-in-north-carolina", "hydroelectric-power-plants-in-north-carolina", "buildings-and-structures-in-graham-county,-north-carolina", "buildings-and-structures-in-swain-county,-north-carolina", "alcoa-power-generating-dams", "dams-completed-in-1919", "energy-infrastructure-completed-in-1919", "industrial-buildings-and-structures-on-the-national-register-of-historic-places-in-north-carolina", "dams-on-the-national-register-of-historic-places-in-north-carolina", "national-register-of-historic-places-in-graham-county,-north-carolina", "national-register-of-historic-places-in-swain-county,-north-carolina", "historic-districts-on-the-national-register-of-historic-places-in-north-carolina", "1919-establishments-in-north-carolina", "north-carolina-placenames-of-native-american-origin"] description: "Historic district in North Carolina, United States" topic_path: "geography/united-states" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheoah_Dam" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Historic district in North Carolina, United States ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox NRHP"]

Field	Value
name	Cheoah Hydroelectric Development
nrhp_type	hd
nocat	yes
image	Cheoah Dam aerial – near Robbinsville, North Carolina 02.jpg
caption	Cheoah Hydroelectric Dam, 2024
location	1512 Tapoca Rd., US 129, near Robbinsville, North Carolina
coordinates
locmapin	North Carolina#USA
built
builder	Power & Engineering Group of Alcoa
architecture	Classical Revival
added	May 21, 2004
area	25 acre
mpsub	Tapoco Hydroelectric Project MPS
refnum	04000464
::

NOTOC | name = Cheoah Hydroelectric Development | nrhp_type = hd | nocat = yes | image = Cheoah Dam aerial – near Robbinsville, North Carolina 02.jpg | caption = Cheoah Hydroelectric Dam, 2024 | location = 1512 Tapoca Rd., US 129, near Robbinsville, North Carolina | coordinates = | locmapin = North Carolina#USA | built = | builder = Power & Engineering Group of Alcoa | architecture = Classical Revival | added = May 21, 2004 | area = 25 acre | mpsub = Tapoco Hydroelectric Project MPS | refnum = 04000464 The Cheoah Dam is a hydroelectric dam located in Graham and Swain counties, North Carolina, on the Little Tennessee River between river miles 51 and 52. The Cheoah Development consists of a dam and powerhouse, the first of several constructed by the Tallassee Power Company (now Tapoco), a subsidiary of Aluminum Company of America (now Alcoa), in order to generate electricity to smelt aluminum in Alcoa, Tennessee. The name Cheoah comes from the Cherokee Native American word for "otter."

The Cheoah project began in 1916 as a construction camp at the Narrows, where the Little Tennessee River flowed through a narrow gorge, and it was completed in 1919. Cheoah Dam created the long, narrow Cheoah Reservoir, which covers approximately 644 acres of the normal full pool area and a drainage area of 1608 mi2. The elevation of Cheoah Reservoir is 1276.8 ft (USGS). A scenic highway runs the length of the reservoir.

The water inflow for Cheoah, like that of Calderwood and Chilhowee, is primarily dependent on releases from TVA's Fontana Dam, the primary flow control facility for the lower Little Tennessee River. Tapoco operated the Cheoah Development until 2012, when it was sold to Brookfield Renewable Energy Partners, forming Brookfield Smoky Mountain Hydropower.

When completed in 1919, the 225 ft dam was the world's highest overflow dam. The turbines were the largest in the world, and the 150,000-volt transmission line had the highest voltage and the longest span for a transmission line—5010 ft across the river below Cheoah Dam. The dam and associated structures were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004.

The dam was used as a filming location for the 1993 movie The Fugitive, starring Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones.

Gallery

File:Cheoah Dam - NARA - 280752.jpg|1939 File:CheoahDam.JPG|2008 File:Cheoah Hydroelectric Dam Graham Co NC.jpg|2010 File:TapocoDam.jpg|2011

References

References

1. {{NRISref
2. Chávez, Karen. (2018-03-09). "With three boater deaths on the Cheoah River in a decade, is it too dangerous?". [[Gannett]].
3. Philip Thomason and Teresa Douglass. (October 2003). "Cheoah Hydroelectric Development". North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office.
4. [http://www.alcoa.com/tapoco/en/info_page/cheoah.asp Alcoa website] {{webarchive. link. (2007-08-20, Retrieved on 2009-10-29.)
5. Barrett, J.S.. "History of Tapoco".
6. [http://www.blueridgeheritage.com/attractions-destinations/sample-itineraries/far-western-nature-tour Blueridge National Heritage Area website] {{Webarchive. link. (2012-02-22, Retrieved on 2009-10-29.)

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