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.)