Prior to 1934, the land that is now Chuck Swan State Forest consisted of numerous
small farms and parcels. 
In 1934 the Tennessee Valley Authority began acquiring the land in connection with the
Norris Dam project.  TVA sold the property to the State of Tennessee in 1952
with the understanding that the forest would be developed for
multiple uses including recreation and demonstration.

Before the recent southern pine beetle outbreak and the resulting mortality,
the forest cover types were about 65% hardwood (oak and hickory in particular)
and 35% pine (white, shortleaf and loblolly). 

The Forestry Division is currently working to restore the pine component
where appropriate.  Approximately 6% of the forest has been harvested since 1966
and ranges in age from 1 to 38 years.  An estimated 29% of the forest resulted from
the reversion of abandoned agricultural fields following acquisition. 
These reverted fields help to make up the age classes from 50-90 years
that cover more than half of Chuck Swan. 

About 20% of the forest stands are greater than 90 years old, the oldest around 200 years. 
The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency retains 10 in-holdings (455 acres),
and actively manages approximately 1500 acres of wildlife food plots. 
The forest is home to 53 cemeteries, one active church congregation,
one firing range (requires a permit purchased from TWA) and miles of pathways. 
The forest also offers opportunities for hunting, fishing, horseback riding, and mountain-biking.

Within the State Forest system, Chuck Swan is the only representative
of the Southern Appalachian Ridge and Valley province. 
It is located in northeast Tennessee, 25 miles north of Knoxville,
in Union and Campbell counties and is bounded on three sides by Norris Lake. 
Management of the area is a joint effort between the Forestry Division and TWRA
and focuses on the improvement of wildlife habitat and forest stand conditions.

State Forest Office:  (865)278-3352
Shawn Hendrickson, Assistant District Forester  (865)974-4253
Dustin McCubbins, TWRA Area Manager



The Town of Norris...Sharps Chapel...

Nestled in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains on one of the cleanest lakes in the country.
The town dates back to the early 1930's, as a planned community for nearly 1,400 inhabitants. 
The town design was based on the English garden city movement of the 1890's.
The town is known for its winding roads and houses which did not always face the street. 
It was to be the first self-contained town in the U.S. to make use of the greenbelt design principles and home to some of the nation's first electric homes.

The Tennessee Valley Authority orchestrated the project and much of the housing was
used to house the workers building the agency's first hydro-electric project, Norris Dam. 

In 1948, the town was sold at public auction to a group of private investors.
The investors then sold the last piece of real estate to a local corporation of
Norris residents in 1953.



Norris Facts

Norris Lake was the first lake in the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) system,
constructed in 1934.  It has 880 miles of shoreline and encompasses almost 35,000 acres.

Norris Lake is the deepest TVA lake. It has extensive year-round main channel waterways.

It is the highest rated TVA lake with approximately 96% purity.  It is crystal clear with 25' visibility.
The natural stone and hardwood shorelines are the perfect accent to the teal blue color of the water and almost 80% of the 230,000 people who live in Clinch-Powell watershed depend on the river system for drinking water and other natural benefits.

Norris Lake is fed by two rivers, the Clinch and the Powell.

Norris Lake, encompassed by Cove Lake State Park, Big Ridge State Park, and Norris Dam State Park, is the only lake to have three state parks.

Approximately 75-80% of Norris Lake shoreline is controlled by TVA and the State of Tennessee.

The abundance of deep water coves, magnificent shoreline, natural stone caves
and depth of Norris Lake make it a perfect recreation destination. 

Stripers, Trout, Large and Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Catfish and Blue Gill are but a few
of the sixty-plus fish found in Norris Lake. 

Norris Lake is rated by some as a Top 10 Bass fishing lake in North America.



Sharps Chapel History

Sharps Chapel was originally called Clinch River.
In 1869, its name was changed.
The town's most wellknown historical site is the Jacob Sharp Bait Ousley house,
listed in the National Register of Historic Places since 1978.
Originally built in 1820 by Jacob Sharp, son of the
American Revolutionary War hero
Henry Sharp.

The elder Sharp had originally settled in the area on a 700 acre land grant
received from President George Washington himself.
The house sold to Jacob Ousley in 1874 and remained in his family for 132 years.
Remaining unoccupied for almost 30 years, the house gained reputation as being haunted, 
until it was finally purchased in 2005 and is currently being beautifully restored by David Whaley.

The Sharps Chapel United States Post Office was built in 1866. 
The building has operated continuously since the day it was opened.