Despite drought, TVA campgrounds on schedule

By LEANNE ITALIE, Associated Press Writer Mon May 12, 2:15 PM ET

Despite historic drought in parts of the Southeast, there's summer fun to be had at Tennessee Valley Authority lakes, reservoirs and dams this year as the nation's largest public power company marks its 75th birthday.

The utility's dams and 290,000 surrounding acres draw millions of visitors each year for water skiing, sailing, windsurfing, fishing, swimming, hiking, birdwatching and camping.

The TVA operates about 100 public recreation areas throughout its seven-state region, which includes almost all of Tennessee and portions of Mississippi, Kentucky, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina and Virginia. All campgrounds opened for the season March 14 — http://www.tva.gov/river/recreation/camping.htm — and offer varied amenities and fees. Some are self-serve and some require advance booking. The guidebook "Tennessee River Country," which costs $10 — http://www.tva.gov/river/recreation/rivercountry.htm — can be tossed into the glovebox if you plan to move around by car throughout the region.

If fast-paced water activities are your thing, whitewater rafting, canoeing or kayaking opportunities are plentiful. Check out areas below TVA dams, but make sure to pay close attention to water release schedules that can change on short notice — http://www.tva.gov/river/recreation/schedules.htm — and book ahead for packaged trips for popular areas like the Ocoee River whitewater runs in East Tennessee.

The Ocoee, which runs through the Cherokee National Forest, offers world-class whitewater that was used for slalom kayak events during the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, about 100 miles south. The TVA controls water flow using three dams, with the most popular area for whitewater stretching about five miles in the middle section. With names like Double Trouble and Table Saw, the middle Ocoee has more than 20 rapids rated Class III and IV. No rafting experience is necessary if you take a guided trip through various contractors, the oldest being Ocoee Rafting LLC — http://www.ocoeerafting.com/ — but you must be at least 12 years of age for a rapids run with the company.

In addition to camping, accommodations near the Ocoee include lodge stays, cabins, hotels and bed & breakfasts — http://tinyurl.com/3rghqn. The Ocoee has a whitewater center — http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/ocoee/ — in Copperhill, Tenn., that also offers hiking and mountain biking. Educational programs run through the center for children as young as three include a "lizard safari," a "walk like a Cherokee" session covering the tribe's culture and uses for native plants, and a forest insect hunt with nets and bug boxes.

For a more leisurely float than the rapids of the Ocoee, head to the Lower Bear Creek Canoe Trail in the northwest corner of Alabama — http://www.tva.com/sites/littlebearcreek.htm — that meanders 34 miles under sheer rock bluffs and provides good black bass and crappie fishing. Catch a whiff of azaleas as the trail wends through hemlock, mountain laurel and rhododendron. Lakeside cabins are available near the reservoir, which is about 13 miles southwest of Russellville in Franklin County, Ala. Canoe season on Bear Creek begins Memorial Day, with scheduled TVA water releases — http://dismalscanyon.com/activities/bearcreek.html — and privately booked equipment rentals. There are two portages around waterfalls — one at Old Mill Falls and the other at Factory Falls, but Bear Creek is fine for beginner canoeists.

Some of the best birdwatching in the inland Southeast is located along TVA reservoirs.

In the early summer, look for double-crested cormorants, herons and bald eagles at Rankin Bottoms, in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains on the Douglas Reservoir in East Tennessee. All 37 species of eastern warbler, including the uncommon Swainson's warbler, can be found at the Muscle Shoals Reservation on the Wilson Reservoir in northwest Alabama. Another good spot for bald eagles is the Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge — http://www.fws.gov/tennesseerefuge/ — in the Kentucky Lake area of northwest Tennessee. The Tennessee Ornithological Society — http://www.tnbirds.org/ — can point you in the right direction.