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30-426: The Caney Fork flows through two impoundments— Center Hill Lake and Great Falls Lake — both of which create sizeable artificial lakes. The river's basin is home to numerous protected lands and recreational areas, including five state wilderness areas, six interpretive areas, and a wildlife management area. Two state parks— Edgar Evins State Park and Rock Island State Park — are located along

60-480: A female householder with no husband present, and 26.30% were non-families. 23.40% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.00. In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.50% under the age of 18, 8.00% from 18 to 24, 30.00% from 25 to 44, 23.10% from 45 to 64, and 13.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age

90-631: A few cabins, there is little evidence of this today, as the area has been largely supplanted by larger, more modern developments. The dam is named for the Great Falls of the Caney Fork, caused by the descent of the stream off of the Highland Rim to the level of the Nashville Basin . Located on the lake is Rock Island State Park , developed on the site of former woolen mills in the 19th century predating

120-685: A locally-known mountain. Farther downstream, near the Dodson community, the stream becomes the border between White and Van Buren County . It receives the flow of the Calfkiller River and several minor tributaries. Located at the confluence of the Caney Fork, the Collins River and the Rocky River , is Great Falls Lake. This reservoir is impounded by Great Falls Dam , a project of the former Tennessee Electric Power Company , now owned and operated by

150-483: A song entitled "Caney Fork River" on his album "My Hands Are On Fire and Other Love Songs." Center Hill Lake Center Hill Lake is a reservoir in the U.S. state of Tennessee . It is located in Middle Tennessee near Smithville . Created by means of a dam constructed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1948, the lake has a dual purpose: electricity production and flood control . Center Hill Dam

180-465: A storage capacity of 762,000 acre⋅ft (940,000,000 m ) of water. The lake has approximately 415 mi (668 km) of shoreline, with the deepest point at 190 ft (58 m). The watershed area for the lake is 2,174 sq mi (5,630 km ). The lake is well known for water recreation and fishing. Major tributaries of Center Hill Lake include the Caney Fork (the main tributary) and

210-576: A town, named Carthage, was platted the following year. Smith County was the site of a large saltpeter mine. Piper Cave, located near Monoville, contains the poorly preserved remnants of dozens of saltpeter leaching vats. Most saltpeter mining in Middle Tennessee took place during the War of 1812 and the Civil War , though the exact dates of this operation are unclear. According to the U.S. Census Bureau ,

240-488: Is 260 ft (79 m) high, and it is composed of concrete and earth structures , with 8 gates that are 50 ft (15 m) wide each. Center Hill Lake is one of four major flood control reservoirs for the Cumberland; the others being Percy Priest Lake , Dale Hollow Reservoir , and Lake Cumberland . The lake, which is 64 mi (103 km) long, covers an area of 18,220 acres (73.7 km ). Center Hill Lake has

270-643: The Cumberland Plateau and the largest tributary of the Cumberland River . The Caney Fork rises in Cumberland County about 6 miles (10 km) west-northwest of Crossville before flowing southwest and crossing into White County . In southeastern White County it descends off the Cumberland Plateau through a deep and steep gorge known as Scott's Gulf in a remote area west of Scott Pinnacle,

300-490: The Falling Water River . Edgar Evins , Burgess Falls and Rock Island State Parks contain portions of the lake's shoreline, the rest of which has been relatively underdeveloped until recent years. Lately, the area surrounding Center Hill Lake has been the target of land developers, who have begun construction on several upper-middle-class vacation homes and condos. Some locals protest that these actions are destroying

330-570: The Rivers and Harbors Act authorized Center Hill Dam for power production. Construction of the dam's basic flood control mechanisms was completed in November 1948 and Center Hill Lake was created as the reservoir was filled. To avoid a loss of momentum, the existing contract with Massman-Metcalf-Gordon was modified to include the construction of power producing facilities. Construction ended in spring of 1951 and totaled around $ 100 million. In January 2007,

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360-541: The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). This is the only dam outside of the Tennessee River drainage system directly operated by TVA. This dam impounds a very small but very deep lake due to the depth of the gorges carved by the rivers it impounds. This area was something of a resort area in the early 20th century when such projects were uncommon, especially in the southeastern United States , but other than

390-493: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers placed Center Hill Dam under a high risk for failure, along with Wolf Creek Dam in Russell County, Kentucky . In 2008, the lake's water level was lowered between five and ten feet relieve pressure on the dam and allow repairs begin. Center Hill Dam required three phases of repair work that cost an estimated $ 353 million. Work began in 2008 and reached completion in 2020. Between 2005 and 2020,

420-430: The poverty line , including 14.70% of those under age 18 and 14.80% of those age 65 or over. The Smith County School System operates nine schools: The county formerly operated Pleasant Shade Elementary School, which closed in 2007, and Cox Davidson Elementary, which closed sometime in the 1950s. New Middleton Elementary was formerly PreK–8, while Gordonsville Elementary was formerly PreK–6. A realignment beginning with

450-598: The 2017–2018 school year resulted in the current grade alignment of those schools. Prior to 2008, Smith County was a Democratic Party stronghold at the presidential level. The county failed to back a Democratic candidate only twice between the Civil War and 2004, when voting for George Wallace in 1968 and against George McGovern in 1972. However, while the county was Carthage resident Al Gore 's fourth strongest statewide in his 2000 presidential bid, he failed to win an increasingly Republican Tennessee. Democrat John Kerry won

480-548: The Cumberland River, which is considered to be a world class striper fishery, is almost directly opposite the Smith County seat of Carthage . A farm belonging to former Vice President Al Gore and formerly his late father, Senator Albert Gore Sr. , is located along here. The bluegrass band Balsam Range has a song of the same name on their album "Last Train to Kitty Hawk". Canadian Folksinger, Old Man Luedecke has

510-538: The Great Falls Dam, this project flooded several small communities and thousands of acres of land previously devoted to agriculture . It is crossed by a particularly scenic bridge on State Route 56 . Along its shores is Edgar Evins State Park , named for the father of the area's former Representative , Joe L. Evins , former chairman of the House Appropriations Committee . Below Center Hill Dam,

540-621: The beauty of nature that make it such an attractive locale for such developments. In the aftermath of the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor , the U.S. Congress authorized the use of War Department funds to build dams at Center Hill and Dale Hollow that would generate the power required to support defense industry in the Southeastern United States . In early 1942, the Corps opened bidding to private contractors. An $ 11,666,000 contract

570-478: The county has a total area of 325 square miles (840 km ), of which 314 square miles (810 km ) is land and 11 square miles (28 km ) (3.4%) is water. The county is located in a transition area between the rugged Highland Rim to the east and the flatter Nashville Basin to the west. The Caney Fork has its confluence with the Cumberland River in Carthage; these are the primary waterways flowing through

600-417: The county was 95.42% White , 2.53% Black or African American , 0.37% Native American , 0.17% Asian , 0.01% Pacific Islander , 0.59% from other races , and 0.93% from two or more races. 1.13% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 6,878 households, out of which 34.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.10% were married couples living together, 9.80% had

630-515: The county. Cordell Hull Dam on the Cumberland is located near Carthage. As of the 2020 United States census , there were 19,904 people, 7,603 households, and 5,409 families residing in the county. As of the census of 2000, there were 17,712 people, 6,878 households, and 5,069 families residing in the county. The population density was 56 people per square mile (22 people/km ). There were 7,665 housing units at an average density of 24 units per square mile (9.3/km ). The racial makeup of

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660-534: The electrical development. This area was used for a considerable number of exterior shots and stunts in the Sylvester Stallone film, The Specialist . At the foot of Great Falls Dam the water is usually slack except during periods of high discharge due to the influence of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Center Hill Dam project in DeKalb County further downstream, developed in the late 1950s. Unlike

690-449: The lake's water levels were reduced by as much as 18 feet. During the first phase of repairs, concrete was pumped into the foundation to fill gaps that formed as the structure decayed. In the second phase, a 308-foot tall foundation wall was installed on the dam's lake side to stop leaks through the limestone. The third phase saw the construction of an additional auxiliary dam on Center Hill Dam's eastern side to be used to reduce pressure on

720-527: The main dam during a major flood. Improvements were made by the Army Corps of Engineers to recreational areas around the lake and the parking lot was greatly expanded. Electricity from the dam is marketed by the Southeastern Power Administration . Smith County, Tennessee Smith County is a county in the U.S. state of Tennessee . As of the 2020 census , the population

750-408: The river, and three others— Fall Creek Falls State Park , Burgess Falls State Park and South Cumberland State Park — are located within its basin. The river is a popular stream for canoeing and kayaking. The name "Caney Fork" comes from the dense cane breaks that grew along the river's banks when European explorers first arrived in the area. The river is a major drainage feature of

780-554: The stream crosses into Smith County and is bridged by Interstate 40 five times in under four miles. This downstream section is annually stocked with Rainbow , Brown , and Brook trout by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA), and is considered to be one of the best trout rivers in the state. A final bridge, reconstructed in 2014, is on U.S. Route 70N near the Elmwood community. The river's mouth into

810-498: Was 19,904. Smith County is located in the region of the state known as Middle Tennessee. Its county seat is Carthage . The county was organized in 1799 and is named for Daniel Smith , a Revolutionary War veteran who made the first map of Tennessee and served as a United States senator . Smith County is part of the Nashville-Davidson – Murfreesboro – Franklin , TN Metropolitan Statistical Area . Smith County

840-416: Was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.40 males. The median income for a household in the county was $ 35,625, and the median income for a family was $ 41,645. Males had a median income of $ 30,853 versus $ 22,133 for females. The per capita income for the county was $ 17,473. About 10.30% of families and 12.20% of the population were below

870-573: Was awarded to a joint venture firm made up of the Massman Construction Company , Metcalf Construction Company and Gordon Hamilton Contracting Company . Wartime manpower and material shortages began to slow work on the dam beginning in fall of 1942. In 1943, the Corps suspended construction on Center Hill to focus on the completion of the dam at Dale Hollow. After World War II ended, construction resumed in January 1946. Modifications to

900-466: Was established in 1799 from a portion of Sumner County , and was named for Daniel Smith, a U.S. Senator and former Secretary of the Southwest Territory . The location of the county seat was hotly contested between Bledsoesborough (near modern Dixon Springs) and William Walton's ferry and tavern at the confluence of the Caney Fork and the Cumberland River . In 1804, voters chose Walton's site, and

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