Southern Side

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This is a northern view of the southern side of the Great Smoky Mountains. The water below is Fontana Lake a reservoir impounded by Fontana Dam on the Little Tennessee River located in Graham and Swain counties in North Carolina. The lake forms part of the southern border of Great Smoky Mountains National Park and part of the northern border of the Nantahala National Forest. Depending on water levels, the lake is about 17 miles (27 km) long. The eastern end is the Tuckasegee River near Bryson City. This is a true wilderness lake with many inlets into coves and creek runs and many islands formed from former mountain peaks, especially near the eastern end. As with most dam-impounded lakes, the steep banks are exposed when water levels are low. Fontana Lake is lowered around 60 feet during the winter months for flood control purposes by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). This lowering of the water level does not affect navigation on this lake with depths of 480 feet and very steep banks. It is common to have a 60 foot water depth a mere 8 to 10 feet off the shoreline. Fontana Lake is unique in many ways. Unlike most lakes in the area, shoreline development has been kept to a minimum. More than 90 percent of the land around Fontana Lake is owned by either the National Park Service or the US Forest Service.
Short of a multi-day hike, Fontana Lake provides the only access into the most remote areas of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. When the lake is at the normal summer level, a boat may be used to access remote trailheads such as Hazel Creek. From the observation tower on Clingmans Dome, on a clear day the lake can be seen nearly a mile below.

File name Ramy_5643_CF19
Camera Model Canon EOS 7D
Shooting Date/Time 10/23/2012 / 2:09:19 PM
Author Michael Ramy
Copyright Notice Rock Art Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
Shooting Mode Aperture-Priority AE
Tv(Shutter Speed) 1/160
Av(Aperture Value) 11
Metering Mode Spot Metering
Exposure Compensation 0
ISO Speed 100
Lens EF24-70mm f/2.8L USM
Focal Length 24.0mm
Tripod