Wheeler Dam was named for Joseph Wheeler. a general in the army
of confederacy, leader of the U.S. volunteers in the
Spanish-American War. Wheeler Dam was the second dam built by
the T.V.A., Norris Dam being the first.
The construction of Wheeler Dam was started on November 31,1933
and was completed October 3, 1936. Wheeler was the T.V.A.s
second project and the construction started just six months
after President Franklin Roosevelt signed legislation that
created the T.V.A. The total cost of construction of the
reservoir was $88,690,882 taking more than 6,813,160 man hours
to complete. The dam itself contains 631,000 cubic yards of
concrete. Wheeler Dam and Reservoir was constructed for the
purpose of electric power, flood control, navigation,
recreation, an adequate supply of water and other related
benefits.
The Dam is 72 feet tall and 6,342 feet long. The reservoir is
67,100 acres with a shoreline of 1,063 miles.
There was 66 injuries incurred during the construction of the
dam and reservoir with 2 fatalities. 842 families had to be
relocated. There were 242 agreements made to move gravesites
with only 176 actually removed.
Wheeler Lake is on the Tennessee River and is surrounded by
Lawrence and Lauderdale Counties in Alabama.
Please Help Keep Lake Wheeler Clean !
|
