Ocoee No. 2

The Ocoee ranks as one of the top 10 whitewater rivers in the country. Water is diverted from generation and allowed to flow over the dam on selected days to provide for whitewater rafting downstream of the dam.

Rafting is the big recreation activity near Ocoee Dam No. 2. A number of commercial outfitters supply equipment and organize whitewater rafting trips in the area.

Located in southeast Tennessee, Ocoee Dam No. 2 is the second in a series of three TVA dams on the Ocoee River. Completed in 1913, it was among the first hydroelectric projects in the region. It was acquired by TVA in 1939. Together the Ocoee dams form an integral part of TVA’s hydroelectric system and provide important recreation benefits.

The Ocoee No. 2 powerhouse is located nearly five miles downstream from the dam. At the dam, water from the river is diverted into a flume, a wooden trough supported on a bench carved out of the mountainside. The flume carries the water to a point where it is discharged through pipes to the powerhouse more than 250 feet below.

This ingenious system allows the amount of power generated by the 30-foot-high dam to equal that of a 250-foot-high dam. Constructed in 1912, the flume is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Ocoee No. 2: Facts & Figures

• Construction of Ocoee Dam No. 2 began in 1912 and was completed in 1913. 
• The dam is 30 feet high and stretches 450 feet across the Ocoee River.   
• Ocoee Dam No. 2 is a hydroelectric facility. It has two generating units with a summer net dependable capacity of 23 megawatts. Net dependable capacity is the amount of power a dam can produce on an average day minus the electricity used by the dam itself.
• Water is diverted from generation and allowed to flow over the dam on selected days to provide for whitewater rafting downstream of the dam.          
• The dam is constructed of a timber crib filled with rock.

More Information on Ocoee Reservoir No. 2

Daily Lake Level

Recreation Release Schedule

Water Trail Guide