Central Tennessee – Plateaus and Lakes

July 5th

Central Tennessee is a beautiful section of Tennessee.  The terrain is a 2000 foothigh plateau area with rolling hills, rivers, and lakes mostly created by damming the rivers.  This area is the transition from the Smoky Mountains to the plains of the Tennessee River. 

Lake at Cumberland Mountain State Park

Generally the lakes were dammed in an effort to generate electricity and control water flow.  When the dams were built in the 1930s and 1940s the power produced met the needs of the area but since then our energy consumption has skyrocketed, technology has changed, and the power plants have dropped in their importance.  Still, hydro-electric energy is clean energy and can supplement our never ending demand for power. 

Skink at Fall Creek Falls State Park

Well, the lakes provide an opportunity for recreation: fishing, boating, hiking, swimming, and relaxing.  They provide livelihood for those relying on the tourist and boating industry.  And lastly there is the containment of precious water which many drought stricken areas in the United States would love to claim.  

Creek at Cumberland Mountain State Park

So, overall the dammed rivers are a win-win situation.