The Dike That Saved Dandridge

A portion of the town of Dandridge would have been flooded by the waters of Douglas Lake if the Tennessee Valley Authority had not built a dike. The top of the dike is an elevation of 1009 feet, seven feet above the dam's crest gates. All of the business district, the Jefferson County Courthouse, county jail, and approximately 1000 feet of Highway 92 would have been below the maximum water level of the reservoir. Dandridge was the center of opposition to the Douglas Dam due to the loss of over 60,000 acres of fertile agricultural land. The Douglas Reservoir was critical to providing the power needed for the Manhattan Project in Oak Ridge. Begun in 1942, construction on the Douglas Project was completed within 382 days to capture the 1943 winter rains and to produce the needed hydroelectric power.