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Rock slide damages TVA water flume on Ocoee River

The flume carries water from the Ocoee River to be used for power generation.
A still frame from Barry Semak's Facebook video

A rock slide has caused an accidental waterslide above the Ocoee River.

According to TVA, they are assessing the damage after a rock slammed into the flume, which is used to divert water from the river to the hydroelectric power generation station

The flume is located high above US-64 in Polk County. You can see video of the water rushing down the mountain and back into the river posted on Barry Semak's page.

The TVA said the intake gate to the flume closed immediately and that the water was being diverted to the river. No injuries were reported, and no downstream damage was reported.

The flume, which was constructed in 1913 and acquired by TVA in 1939, was among the first hydroelectric projects in the region. It is on the National Register of Historic Places.

TVA allows water to flow over the dam on selected days, especially during the summer, to allow for recreation on the river. It is one of the top whitewater rafting locations in the country, and was the site of whitewater events for the 1996 Olympic Games, hosted in Atlanta.

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