Holston River Generation Schedule (2024)

FAQs

Where does the South Holston river start? ›

The Holston River begins in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains and flows for 274 miles through Virginia into Tennessee. The river ends at the confluence of the Holston and French Broad rivers to form the Tennessee River.

South Holston Dam, an earth-and-rockfill dam, has one generating unit that has a net dependable capacity of 44 megawatts. The reservoir has a flood-storage capacity of 252,800 acre-feet. In 1991, TVA built a weir below South Holston Dam to add oxygen to the river when the hydropower plant isn't generating electricity.

South Holston Reservoir is on the South Fork Holston River in northeast Tennessee. It extends 24 miles east of the dam into Virginia. Construction of the dam began in 1942 but was halted in favor of other wartime construction efforts. The building resumed in 1947 and was completed in 1950.

The Holston River flows through Washington, Smyth, Wythe, Tazewell, Bland, Russell and Scott Counties. The Holston River has three main tributaries, the North, Middle and South Forks. There are over 845,565 acres in this watershed.

Can I wade the South Holston River? Sure, if water conditions are favorable. If TVA is generating water there are NO wading opportunities, too much water & too dangerous. FYI – you will catch more fish from the boat than on foot.

The Holston Army Ammunitions Plant has been releasing a toxic chemical into the waters of the Holston River for some time. Now, they will be required to clean up the pollution according to a recent consent decree.

The ecological health condition of South Holston Reservoir rated “fair” in 2021. Historically, ecological health ratings have fluctuated within the “fair” and “poor” range.

Swimming. There's something especially restorative about swimming in a pristine mountain lake. For sun-worshippers in search of a perfect spot for a swim, there's the Jacob's Creek Recreation Area.

To meet objectives, water is slowly being released from the ten major tributary reservoirs above Chickamauga Dam—Blue Ridge, Chatuge, Cherokee, Douglas, Fontana, Hiwassee, Norris, Nottely, South Holston and Watauga—which is resulting in a decline in lake levels.

Dam construction was completed in 1950 to provide power production and flood control. At the full pool elevation of 1,729 feet, the reservoir covers 7,580 surface acres in Tennessee and Virginia. Periodic water releases result in annual water level fluctuations of about 30 vertical feet.

What is the size limit on South Holston Lake? ›

Largemouth Bass: No length limit. Smallmouth Bass: 15-inch minimum length limit. Spotted Bass: No creel, no length limit. Crappie (all species): 15 per day in combination, 10-inch minimum length limit.

South Holston offers good fishing for a variety of species. Black bass, crappie, walleye, sunfish, and catfish are a few of the most sought after species. Predatory fish have diverse and abundant forage in the form of alewives, gizzard shad, threadfin shad and shiners.

The James River is Virginia's largest river, flowing across the entire state. It begins in the mountains at the confluence of the Cowpasture and Jackson Rivers in Botetourt County and ends at the Chesapeake Bay in Hampton Roads. The James is Virginia's largest tributary to the Chesapeake Bay.

British colonists later named the Holston River after pioneer Stephen Holstein, a European-American settler who built a cabin in 1746 on the upper reaches of the river.

Bland County

Holston River / Source

The South Anna River rises near Gordonsville in southwestern Orange County and flows generally southeastwardly and eastwardly through Louisa and Hanover counties. It joins the North Anna River to form the Pamunkey River about 5 miles (8.0 km) northeast of Ashland. Near its mouth the river collects the Newfound River.

The source of the Soča lies in the Trenta Valley in the Julian Alps in northwestern Slovenia, at an altitude of 876 metres (2,874 feet). The river flows through the western part of Triglav National Park.

The North Fork flows 138 miles (222 km) southwest from Sharon Springs in Bland County, Virginia. The Middle Fork flows 56.5 miles (90.9 km) from near the western border of Wythe County, Virginia, joining the South Fork in Washington County, Virginia, southeast of Abingdon.