Lake Hiwassee Water Levels Lower in October

Posted by John Poltrock on

Lake Hiwassee in Murphy NC is operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and controlled by the Hiwassee Dam. It’s quite a sight to see! During the off-season, the lake is lowered to control flooding further downstream. Years ago, Nashville and nearby areas were flooding and it was amazing how fast the lake levels shot up to hold water back and keep the flooding from being worse. It’s an amazing engineering feat to be able to do that!

One question I often get is, “what does it look like when Lake Hiwassee water goes down?” There’s no better way to show you than on video! Click play below and see the lake. Want to own a mountain lake home? Let us know or search online! Most of the homes on the water are in Bear Paw Resort. I personally own a home there and wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s quite an amazing place!

The Importance of Using a Local Lender in Murphy NC with Lurree Pavis of Homestar Mortgage

Posted by I Love Murphy on

When buying a home in the mountains, being able to obtain a loan is often one of the largest pieces of completing your home purchase. The video below is John Poltrock with one of our local go-to mortgage brokers. It provides valuable insight on the process and ease of getting a loan and the importance of using a local lender to complete your real estate purchase.

Questions? Call us at 1-866-Murphy-NC and we’re happy to help.

The Hiwassee Dam Hydroelectric Dam in Murphy NC

Posted by I Love Murphy on

The Hiwassee Dam is one of my favorite things to see here in Murphy NC. If I’m showing homes or land in the area, I always love to take folks to see it. At 307 feet, Hiwassee Dam is the third tallest dam in the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) system. It stretches 1,376 feet from bank to bank of the river, and I must admit, is an amazing sight to stand at the bottom of and see just how big it really is. It was part of Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal to provide work for people and help bring the United States out of the Great Depression.

Named after the Hiwassee River, the dam is responsible for creating Lake Hiwassee and generating an impressive 185 Megawatts of power.

History

Construction began on Hiwassee Dam on July 15, 1936, and it officially opened for operation on February 8, 1940. At a price tag of 24 million at that time, it was a sizable, and expensive, undertaking. It had dual purposes – to generate power for the region and provide flood control for the Chattanooga area, which is why you see the waters of Lake Hiwassee lower in the colder seasons of the year.

Building the dam required purchasing 24,102 acres. It took 3,836 acres that had to be completely cleared. What’s even more amazing is that it required 261 families, 462 graves, and 25 miles of roads that had to be completely relocated to a new area.

Directions

So while you’re here in Murphy, you certainly need to go see the Hiwassee Dam. It’s a great area attraction that’s beautiful in its own right. To get to it from Murphy, take 64 West. Turn right on 294. Follow to a right on Hiwassee Dam Access Road. Follow it a few miles and you’ll drive right over the dam.

Sources cited: TVA and Wikipedia