Kentucky Lake is part of the Tennessee River—and it is a reservoir. The same is true for Guntersville Lake, Pickwick Lake, Wheeler Lake, and other familiar bodies of water along the river.
For people new to the Tennessee RiverLine, the names can be confusing. If you are paddling on Guntersville Lake or Pickwick Lake, are you on a lake or a river? Let’s deep dive into reservoirs!
After 200 years of efforts to “tame the Tennessee River,” it’s easy to forget that it was once seen as an immensely difficult body of water to traverse. Luckily, this history is not lost. It lives on in rare gems such as Manly DeWitt Barber’s 1906 journal entries, particularly in a section he titled “On The Tennessee River. From Knoxville to Chattanooga in Row Boats.”
We’re launching this blog as a storytelling platform to bring that shared vision to life. Here, you’ll find wide-ranging perspectives and authentic voices from across the Tennessee River Valley—stories that explore how people experience, learn from, and contribute to the river’s evolving story.
Through interviews, first-person trip accounts, and reflections on ecology, history, tourism, and cultural heritage, we’ll dive deeper into what makes the Tennessee RiverLine such a powerful idea—and such a living, breathing place. You can also expect fun facts, guest contributions, and behind-the-scenes looks at ongoing projects and community milestones.
