Normandy Lake Water Level
Tennessee · Duck River
Full pool is the summer level. Normandy Lake is drawn down about 11 ft to roughly 864 ft over winter for flood storage, so a lower reading outside the summer season is usually scheduled rather than drought.
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Water level history
About Normandy Lake
Normandy Lake is a reservoir on the Duck River in Tennessee, operated by Tennessee Valley Authority. It's the only TVA reservoir on the Duck River. Its full summer pool sits at 875 ft above sea level. Live water levels come from the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and update hourly.
Understanding Normandy Lake's water level
Normandy is TVA's largest non-power tributary storage project. The dam has no generators and produces no electricity at all; it was built between 1972 and 1976 for flood damage reduction, water supply and recreation, and the gates closed on 5 January 1976. It is the only TVA dam on the Duck River.
It runs a clean seasonal cycle: a summer and autumn pool of 875 feet from June through November, and a winter and spring pool of 864 feet from December through May. That eleven-foot difference is the difference between roughly 36 billion gallons and 25 billion. A reading of 865 in February is the schedule, not a drought. Flood storage runs from 864 up to the top of the gates at 880, and the record maximum is 880.12 feet from 20 February 1991, right at the gate tops. The record minimum after first filling is 853.12 feet from November 1981.
The river below is the point of the whole thing. The Duck is the most biologically diverse river in North America for its size: conservation groups count 151 fish species, more than 60 freshwater mussel species and 22 aquatic snails, and describe it as holding more fish species than all the rivers of Europe combined. Federal assessments based on more than seven thousand mussel records going back to the early 1800s call it one of the most important freshwater mussel communities on the continent. Normandy's minimum releases are set accordingly, at 155 cubic feet per second from June through November and 120 from December through May. The lake also supplies drinking water: the Duck River Utility Commission draws directly from it and serves Manchester, Tullahoma and several surrounding utilities, around 76,000 people, and a state warm-water fish hatchery sits immediately below the dam with two intakes at different depths.
Normandy Lake — frequently asked
What are Normandy Lake's summer and winter pool levels?
The summer and autumn pool is 875 feet above sea level, held from June through November. The winter and spring pool is 864 feet, held from December through May. That eleven-foot difference takes the lake from roughly 36 billion gallons down to 25 billion. TVA describes the level as varying by about eleven feet in a normal year.
Is Normandy Lake low in winter because of drought?
Usually not. The lake is deliberately drawn to 864 feet from December through May to open up flood storage, then refilled to 875 for the summer season. A reading in the mid-860s during winter or early spring is the operating schedule. The flood pool runs from 864 up to the top of the gates at 880 feet.
Does Normandy Dam generate electricity?
No. Normandy has no power generators and produces no electricity, which makes it TVA's largest non-power tributary storage project. It was authorized instead for flood damage reduction, water supply, recreation and economic development, and completed in 1976. That is unusual in a system where most dams were built to generate.
Why is the Duck River below Normandy so important?
It is the most biodiverse river of its size in North America. Conservation groups count 151 fish species, more than 60 freshwater mussel species and 22 aquatic snails, and describe it as supporting more fish species than all the rivers of Europe combined. Federal assessments based on over seven thousand mussel records call it one of the continent's most important freshwater mussel communities. Normandy's minimum releases are set to protect it.
Who gets drinking water from Normandy Lake?
The Duck River Utility Commission draws raw water directly from the reservoir and supplies Manchester and Tullahoma directly, plus Hillsville Utility District, Wartrace, Bell Buckle, Shelbyville Flat Creek and Metro Moore County, serving around 76,000 people. Its treatment plant has grown from 10 to 12 million gallons a day with a 15 million gallon expansion planned.
What is the crappie fishing like at Normandy?
Distinctive. Blacknose black crappie make up about 98 percent of the crappie catch here, sustained by annual fingerling stocking from the hatchery below the dam, averaging about a pound with two-pound fish common. Crappie account for about a quarter of angler effort and black bass about 60 percent. There are 35 marked fish attractor sites with downloadable coordinates, and four fee-free ramps.
Other lakes near Normandy Lake
- Norris LakeTN
- Nickajack LakeTN
- Old Hickory LakeTN
- Melton Hill LakeTN
- Parksville Lake (Ocoee No. 1)TN
- Kentucky LakeKY/TN
See current levels for all 23 Tennessee lakes and reservoirs →
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