Last updated: April 18, 2026
- Completed: 1913
- Demolished: Powerhouse decommissioned 1968; central section removed
- Builder: Chattanooga & Tennessee River Power Company (later Tennessee Electric Power Company)
- Replaced by: Nickajack Dam, 1967
Hales Bar Dam was the first significant hydroelectric dam on the Tennessee River and one of the earliest non-federal hydroelectric projects in the country. It was built in Marion County about six miles downstream of the future Nickajack Dam site, and began generating power in 1913. It operated for just over half a century before being replaced by TVA's Nickajack Dam in 1967.
A private hydroelectric project
Hales Bar was built by the Chattanooga & Tennessee River Power Company (later reorganized as the Tennessee Electric Power Company) decades before the creation of the Tennessee Valley Authority. It was a commercial venture, intended to supply electricity to Chattanooga's industries and to improve navigation through the treacherous rapids of the Tennessee River Gorge, including the stretch known as “The Suck” and its nearby hazards.
The karst problem
The dam's chronic weakness was its foundation. The Tennessee River here flows over cavernous Mississippian limestone riddled with solution channels, and from the outset Hales Bar suffered severe leakage through the karst beneath its footing. Decades of grouting, patching, and foundation remediation failed to permanently seal the leaks. By the 1950s and 60s the dam's ongoing structural problems, combined with the broader push to modernize the TVA river system, made continued operation uneconomic.
Replacement by Nickajack Dam
TVA chose to abandon Hales Bar rather than continue patching it. A new dam, Nickajack, was built about six miles downstream at a more stable site and went into service in 1967. Hales Bar's powerhouse was decommissioned in 1968 and the central portion of the dam was later removed so that the Nickajack reservoir could pass through the old site unimpeded. Read more about Nickajack →
Legacy
Parts of the old Hales Bar Dam, particularly the north and south abutments and the former lock walls, remain visible. The historic Hales Bar complex on the north bank has been adapted for private use, including as a marina. Hales Bar is often cited in engineering history as an early cautionary tale about building large dams on karst geology.
Related
About Nickajack Lake, Cave & Dam →
About “The Suck” rapids →
About the Tennessee River Gorge →