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Located in the Great Smoky Mountains, Fontana is the highest dam in the eastern United States. Fontana Dam and Lake serve several purposes, chief among them being flood regulation and power production. Releases from the lake also benefit downstream navigation by contributing to the water volume during periods of low flow. In the normal operating cycle, the lake is drawn down during fall and winter months to provide ample space for winter rains, and is allowed to fill when danger of floods is passed.

The powerhouse contains three generating units with a total generating capacity of 225,000 kilowatts. Electricity is generated as water is released through the turbines at Fontana. Additional power is generated as the same water passes through the turbines at 11 downstream dams. Eight of these are TVA dams on the Tennessee River; three are dams of the Aluminum Company of America on the Little Tennessee River.

Tours of the dam on the incline railway are $2.00 for adults and $1.00 for children.

Useful storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . 946,000 acre-feet
Drainage area . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,571 square miles
Volume of concrete . . . . . . 2,815,300 cubic yards
Height . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 480 feet
Volume of earth and rock fill . . .760,600 cubic yds
Length . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,365 feet
Construction started . . . . . . . . . . . January l, 1942
Length of lake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 miles
Water impoundment started . . . . November 7, 1944
Shoreline . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . 248 miles
Total generating capacity, 3 units .. . 225,000 kilowatts
Area of lake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10,640 acres
First electricity generated . . . . . . . . January 20, 1945
Total reservoir volume . .. . . . . . . 1,443,000 acre-feet
Cost, including switchyard . . . . . . . . . . . $74,681,000

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