From
March to October the Ocoee River comes alive
with whitewater enthusiasts from around the
world who journey to shoot the world-class
rapids in rafts, canoes, and kayaks. Outdoor
adventure writer Kim Urquhart calls it "a
paddler's paradise ...loved for its size and
power, constant flow rate and continuous waves
and holes".
The Class III and IV rapids
that highlight this river begin just west
of Ducktown, TN. The Ocoee
Whitewater Center is a federally
operated put-in that is used by both commercial
companies and individuals. In 2002 nearly
300,000 people made the journey from this
site to the take-out more than 5 miles further
down the river.
History of the Ocoee River
Flowing out of Lake
Blue Ridge as the Toccoa River,
the name changes to Ocoee at the Tennessee
border. In the early 1900's the East Tennessee
Power Company built two dams along the river
to provide power to its customers. Alongside
the river they also built a flume that would
divert the river's water. The flume began
at Ocoee Dam # 2 and followed the course of
today's whitewater run. Water would plummet
250 feet down the flume over its 5 mile course
and its power was formidable, but the Ocoee
River was dry.
One of the reasons for needing the dam was
the relocation of Alcoa Aluminum to Blount County, Tennessee. The company
needed tremendous amounts of power to make the alumininum. When the
TVA acquired the Ocoee dams in the late 1930's, engineers admired
the
unusual
means
by which the company produced power and duplicated the effort in another
dam, Ocoee # 3. In 1976 the TVA closed the flume from #2 for safety
concerns.
It was at this point that outdoor enthusiasts discovered the Ocoee,
and by the time the Tennessee Valley Authority wanted to reopen the
flume, an industry had risen. To benefit the recreational users of
the Ocoee, the TVA agreed to let the water run in the old riverbed
every Saturday. Today, this exciting course is know around the world
thanks to 1996 Summer Olympics, which held a number of events on the
river.
Ocoee River Whitewater
Olympic Events were held on the upper Ocoee River. They
ended near the Ocoee
Whitewater Center, and this section is
generally not open to the public. After the
center is the Middle Ocoee, a five mile section
of the river from the center just west of
Ducktown to a remote take-out point in the
Ocoee Gorge. In this five miles the river
falls some 250 feet across some Class IV+
rapids. The Middle Ocoee River is significantly
calmer than the Upper Ocoee, although there
are some good drops. Under normal conditions
there are no Class V rapids on the river,
however, at times when waterflow is greater
than normal, some of the Class IV rapids become
Class V.
Ocoee Rapids
Here is a list of some of the rapids on the Middle
Ocoee River
- Grumpy
- Gonzo Shoals
- Broken Nose
(Vegomatic)
- Second Helping
- Moon Shot
- Double Suck
- Double Trouble (Maypop)
- Squeeze Play
- Tablesaw
(Buzzsaw)
- Diamond Splitter
- Slingshot
- Hell's Hole
*The above information is from the Fannin
County Chamber of Commerce website. Be
sure to visit their site for more detailed
information.
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