Center Hill Dam featured in National Inventory of Dams rollout

January 2, 2022
By: Lee Roberts NASHVILLE DISTRICT PUBLIC AFFAIRS

The National Inventory of Dams is being updated and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plans to feature Center Hill Dam in a video as part of its rollout with the public.

Katie Noland, strategic communication specialist with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Headquarters Dam and Levee Safety Program, explained that the video will showcase large and small dams, concrete and earthen dams, and dams that support different purposes like flood risk management, hydropower, navigation, recreation, water quality, and water storage.

A film crew with Open Jaw Productions visited the dam Nov. 2-3 to capture the dam structure, its hydropower plant generating clean energy, and people recreating. The objective is to educate and inform the public about the variety and purposes of dams the Corps of Engineers operates and maintains across the nation.

“The dams featured in the video are also in the National Inventory of Dams, which includes more than 91,000 dams. While most are state-regulated dams, we are striving to represent the variety of dam owners with this video as well,” Noland said.

Noland, who supports the NID communication initiatives including this video, said the program picked Center Hill Dam to represent larger dams in the United States that support multiple purposes such as flood risk management, hydropower, and recreation.

The NID houses data on known dams across the country at https://nid.sec.usace.army.mil. USACE is responsible for maintaining and updating the inventory in close collaboration with federal and state dam regulating agencies. The site supports awareness of dams and their relationship with surrounding communities.

Noland said the Corps of Engineers is updating the NID to make it easier to find and use data about dams across the country. But the biggest change is sharing flood inundation maps for Corps of Engineers dams, she added.

“Sharing this information will help those who live and work upstream and downstream of dams to see where flooding can occur if a dam related emergency occurs,” Noland said. “Knowing where water may go helps emergency managers, community leaders, and decision makers understand who and what may be in harm’s way, what routes are safer for evacuation, and to put plans in place before flooding occurs.”

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District constructed Center Hill Dam from 1942 to 1948, although construction halted for two years during World War II. The Corps completed the Hydropower Plant in 1950. The powerhouse supplies enough hydroelectricity for an average city of 125,000 people.

Kevin Salvilla, Center Hill Lake resource manager, said the primary purpose of the storage reservoir remains flood risk management. Following rain events, water managers allow rain runoff to make its way through the system, and then the dam releases water in a controlled fashion to protect lives and property.

“Center Hill Dam prevented an estimated $330 million of would-be damages to communities downstream during a highwater event in 2019,” Salvilla said.

The 64-mile reservoir with 415 miles of shoreline also provides lots of recreational opportunities for the public. The staff at Center Hill Lake maintains and operates three campgrounds, eight recreation areas, hiking trails, and 18,000 acres of public land. There are also nine commercial marinas and four state parks that operate at the lake.

Center Hill Dam is a 250-foot-high, 1,382-foot-long concrete dam with a 778-foot earthen embankment. The Nashville District recently completed a rehabilitation of the three units in the hydropower plant, making it possible for the Nashville District to generate clean, safe, and efficient hydroelectric power decades into the future.

“We are excited that Center Hill Dam was selected to be featured in the National Inventory of Dams video,” said Park Ranger Ashley Webster. “Millions of visitors go boating, swimming, hiking, and camping because of the water stored behind the dam. Every Corps employee at Center Hill Dam and Lake takes a lot of pride in their work because it contributes to the purposes of the dam.”

The Corps of Engineers plans to post the video on the Defense Video Imagery Distribution System at https://www.dvidshub.net/unit/USACE and USACE Headquarters YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/CORPSCONNECTION as part of a suite of informational resources on the updated NID to orient new users to the site and provide background information on dams, including the history of dams and why they were built, how they work, and who manages them.

(The public can obtain news, updates and information from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District on the district’s website at www.lrn.usace.army.mil, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/nashvillecorps and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/nashvillecorps. The public can also follow Center Hill Lake on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/centerhilllake.)

January 1, 2022
By: Dwayne Page

Mountain Harbour Property Owners Association has donated $500 to the DeKalb County Fire Department’s Johnson’s Chapel Station.

“We are so blessed to have community organizations and businesses who support us,” said Fire Chief Donny Green.

“These funds will be used to help our station purchase essential firefighting equipment that will be used to serve our residents,” he said.

“Dedicated volunteers + community support = success,” added Chief Green

January 1, 2022
By: Dwayne Page

DeKalb County’s unemployment rate dropped to 3.5% in November, from 3.7% in October. It was also down from 5.8% in November 2020.

The DeKalb County Labor Force for November 2021 was 7,529. A total of 7,269 were employed and 260 were without work.

The employment situation improved in a majority of Tennessee’s counties during November, according to data from the Department of Labor and Workforce Development. This comes after the statewide unemployment rate returned to pre-pandemic levels for the month.

Eighty-five counties recorded lower unemployment rates in November, while five counties saw no movement with their rates, and the remaining five counties experienced a slight increase in unemployment.

Williamson County continued to have the state’s lowest level of unemployment. At 2.1%, its November rate is down 0.1 of a percentage point when compared to October. Cheatham County had the second-lowest rate in the state, moving from 2.5% to 2.2% in November.

At 5.1%, Perry County had the highest rate of unemployment in the state. That figure represented a 0.2 of a percentage point drop from its October rate. Maury, Cocke, and Lewis counties each had a November rate of 4.7%. That accounted for a 0.2 of a percentage point increase for Maury County, a 0.5 of a percentage point increase for Cocke County, and a 0.3 of a percentage point jump in Lewis County.

Statewide, Tennessee experienced lower unemployment for the sixth consecutive month. With a November seasonally adjusted rate of 4%, down 0.2 of a percentage point from October, the state matched its pre-pandemic unemployment levels. In March 2020, the state’s rate was 4% and then spiked to an all-time high of 15.8% the next month.

Nationally, unemployment also improved in November. The seasonally adjusted rate for the month was 4.2%, down 0.4 of a percentage point from the October rate of 4.6%.

The state and national unemployment rates are seasonally adjusted to factor in seasonal economic influences such as school breaks and severe weather conditions, while county unemployment rates are not.

Job seekers across Tennessee can access helpful information and assistance online or in person. They can learn more about what services are available at www.TNWorkReady.com.

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