Wilson Dam

Wilson Dam
Wilson Dam
	View of Wilson Dam from the power house end of the dam.
Location	Shoals Area, Alabama
Coordinates	34°48′03″N 87°37′33″W / 34.80083°N 87.62583°W
Construction began	1918
Opening date	1924
Construction cost	$47,000,000
Operator(s)	TVA
Dam and spillways
Impounds	Tennessee River
Height	137 ft (42 m)
Length	4,541 ft (1,384 m)
Reservoir
Creates	Wilson Lake
Total capacity	640,200 acre⋅ft (789,700,000 m3)
Surface area	15,500 acres (6,300 ha)
	Wilson Dam
	U.S. National Register of Historic Places
	U.S. National Historic Landmark
Nearest city	Florence, Alabama
Coordinates	34°48′3″N 87°37′33″W / 34.80083°N 87.62583°W
Built	1925
Architect	Army Corps of Engineers
NRHP reference No.	66000147
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	November 13, 1966
Designated NHL	November 13, 1966

Wilson Dam is a dam spanning the Tennessee River between Lauderdale County and Colbert County in the U.S. state of Alabama. It impounds Wilson Lake. It is one of nine Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) dams on the Tennessee River. The dam was declared a National Historic Landmark on November 13, 1966.^[2]^[3]

Construction on Wilson Dam began in 1918 and was completed in 1924 under supervision of Hugh L. Cooper^[4]. First electricity generating unit did not go into service until September 1925, and in next few years only 40 percent of electric generating capacity was installed^[5]. The Wilson Dam actually predates the TVA, but was later placed under the authority of the TVA. The dam is 137 feet (42 m) high and stretches 4,541 feet (1,384 m) across the Tennessee River.^[4] The cost to build the dam was almost $47 million.^[6]

The main lock at Wilson Dam is 110 feet (34 m) wide by 600 feet (180 m) long.^[7] The lock lift is 94 feet (29 m).^[7] It is the highest single lift lock east of the Rocky Mountains^[4] An auxiliary lock has two 60 feet (18 m) wide by 300 feet (91 m) long chambers that operate in tandem. Over 3,700 vessels pass through Wilson Dam's locks each year.^[4]

The generating capacity of Wilson dam is 663 megawatts of electricity.^[4]

The dam is named for former President of the United States Woodrow Wilson.

Gallery

Construction of Wilson Dam taking place around 1919. Jackson Island, seen in the background, is now covered by Lake Wilson.
Wilson Dam construction around 1919.
Wilson Lock and Dam on the Tennessee River at Florence, Alabama
Barge exiting the main lock at Wilson Dam in 1982.
Fish catch downstream of Wilson Dam in 1940.
Wilson Dam Auxiliary Locks in 1982.

References

^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
^ ^a ^b "Wilson Dam". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Retrieved 2007-10-28.
^ Polly M. Rettig and Horace J. Sheely, Jr. (February 1976) National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: Wilson Dam, National Park Service and Accompanying 2 photos, 1 aerial and 1 from below, undated.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e "TVA Website". Retrieved 2007-05-16.
^ http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-3268
^ "US Army Corp of Engineers Website". Retrieved 2008-09-11.
^ ^a ^b "Lock Characteristics General Report" (PDF). General Characteristics of Locks. US Army Corps of Engineers. 29 December 2009.

External links

Wilson Reservoir (TVA site)
May 7, 1921 Americas Greatest Dam in the Making: the Wilson Dam At Muscle Shoals
Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) No. AL-47, "Wilson Dam & Hydroelectric Plant, Spanning Tennessee River at Wilson Dam Road (Route 133), Muscle Shoals, Colbert County, AL", 52 photos, 1 measured drawing, 3 data pages, 3 photo caption pages

[nris-1] "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.

[nhlsum-2] "Wilson Dam". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Retrieved 2007-10-28.

[nrhpinv2-3] Polly M. Rettig and Horace J. Sheely, Jr. (February 1976) National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: Wilson Dam, National Park Service and Accompanying 2 photos, 1 aerial and 1 from below, undated.

[tva-4] "TVA Website". Retrieved 2007-05-16.

[5] ttp://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-3268

[usace-6] "US Army Corp of Engineers Website". Retrieved 2008-09-11.

[USACELocks-7] "Lock Characteristics General Report" (PDF). General Characteristics of Locks. US Army Corps of Engineers. 29 December 2009.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

v t e U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Topics	Architectural style categories Contributing property Historic district History of the National Register of Historic Places Keeper of the Register National Park Service Property types
Lists by state	List of U.S. National Historic Landmarks by state: Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming
Lists by insular areas	American Samoa Guam Minor Outlying Islands Northern Mariana Islands Puerto Rico Virgin Islands
Lists by associated state	Federated States of Micronesia Marshall Islands Palau
Other areas	District of Columbia American Legation, Morocco
Related	National Historic Preservation Act Historic Preservation Fund List of jails and prisons on the National Register of Historic Places University and college buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places portal Category

Gallery

See also

References

External links