Tims Ford

Tims Ford’s sprawling arms of water are popular with canoeists, kayakers, and anglers—not to mention fishermen of all stripes.

Tims Ford Reservoir is on the Elk River in south-central Tennessee. It extends 34 miles upstream to the northeast from Tims Ford Dam. In addition to power generation and recreation, Tims Ford provides water supply and flood damage reduction downstream on the Elk River, primarily for Fayetteville, Tenn.

TVA monitors water temperatures in the Elk River closely so that it can adjust the operation of Tims Ford Dam to protect a wide diversity of aquatic life. A cold-water trout fishery is supported upstream, and downstream warm-water sport fish thrive—as do many endangered species. Read more about this unique ecosystem in our story, Preserving Life on the Elk River.

Tims Ford: Facts & Figures

• Construction of Tims Ford Dam began in 1966 and was completed in 1970.
• The dam is 175 feet high and stretches 1,580 feet across the Elk River.
• Tims Ford Dam is a hydroelectric facility. It has one generating unit with a summer net dependable capacity of 40 megawatts. Net dependable capacity is the amount of power a dam can produce on an average day minus the electricity used by the dam itself.
• The water level in Tims Ford Reservoir varies by about 15 feet in a normal year.
• Tims Ford has a flood-storage capacity of 219,600 acre-feet.

More Information on Tims Ford Reservoir

Daily Lake Level

Reservoir Health Ratings

Recreation Release Schedule

Water Trail Guide