It is very common to see elite paddlers on the Ocoee day after day, week after week. The Ocoee has also been the site of many national and world cup competitions in both slalom and wildwater. The most famous of these, the 1996 Olympic slalom racing site, is just upstream of the section of river described in this book. Since the early days of contemporary whitewater sport the Ocoee has been a developing ground. Today, the Ocoee sees nearly all forms of whitewater craft on its waters.
Many boat builders come here to test their new prototypes.
No. 2 and its No. 2 powerhouse. Most of the rapids on this run are in the Class III range and the average gradient is 30 feet per mile. The water is best suited for for boaters with abilities at the intermediate level and above who are comfortable running Class III-IV whitewater. An elevated wooden flume follows this entire length of river, and the history of this flume has much to do with the recreation opportunities on the Ocoee as we know them today. Originally constructed in 1912, the flume was designed to help achieve TVA's primary objective of generating electricity by carrying water diverted from the river downstream and dropping it into the powerhouse.