Update: TVA Timeline For Decision On Chatuge Spillway Repair, Drawdown

Lake Chatuge locals will have to wait at least 18 months for the Tennessee Valley Authority’s (TVA) decision on how it will handle potential spillway repairs and how long any drawdown will last. The TVA tells GON that it will be 2027 before it makes the final call.

“The Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) evaluating the alternatives is expected to be completed in late 2025/early 2026,” Adam May, a TVA spokesperson, said. “The environmental impact study for the project will continue into 2027 with a decision anticipated in early 2027. Construction could begin in late 2027 or early 2028.”

The statement comes after GON published a report on Thursday outlining the TVA’s plans for the north Georgia lake, the potential issues surrounding a drawdown, and the impact it would have on fishermen and local economies. The TVA told GON at the time that it expected a final decision at the end of this year or in early 2026.

Adam now says that the TVA expects to hold its second public comment period (the first ended on May 28) in late 2025 or early 2026. Locals were first made aware of the TVA’s plan to fix the spillway and a potential drawdown in March. “Upper bounds” estimates for the length of that drawdown were as high as eight years, causing considerable concern among those who live near and work around Lake Chatuge.

The TVA said then that it considered the situation, which centers around the poor condition of the spillway’s slab, non-emergent. The fact that it plans to wait almost two years before making a call on how to repair or rebuild adds further credence to that statement.

Kevin Clem, the owner of Boundary Waters Marina and the spokesperson for SaveLakeChatuge.org, told GON earlier this week that the local economy has already felt the impact of the TVA’s announcement even though no drawdown has occurred. He claims that the real estate market has slowed along with tourism, which is of utmost importance to the area.

His hope is that the lake levels won’t have to be lowered during the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day, when the area is busiest and tourism contributes most to the economy.

Fish Chatuge guide Caz Anderson estimates that a 10-foot drawdown from low pool would put the lake at a total of 23 feet below its highest operational level. He believes that such a letdown would diminish the lake by a third or more. While less water would make fish easier to find and land, Caz says that he would be forced to take his guide service to other nearby lakes. A less-appealing Lake Chatuge would mean fewer potential clients, forcing the move.

The TVA is currently considering five options to deal with the spillway. Option A is to continue with the status quo. According to Adam May, that’s the least likely option. Options B and C call for a rehabilitation of the spillway, while options D and E would involve a rebuild.

Potential 8-Year Lake Chatuge Drawdown Causing Alarm