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Turtletown Adit Apalachia Hydro Tunnel Cherokee National Forest, Polk Co., TN |
All Text & Images: Copyright (2021) |
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Turtletown Adit Apalachia Hydro Tunnel Cherokee National Forest, Polk Co., TN |
All Text & Images: Copyright (2021) |
| When I visited the Apalachia Tunnel route in March, I didn't have time to explore the Turtletown Adit. After my wildflower visit a month later in April, I drove down the rough FS road spur and checked out this adit, which is very different from the other adits along the tunnel. This is the only spot except at the dam and power station where the tunnel (albeit only a short section) is routed above ground level. As a reminder, the Apalachia tunnel included four adits (entrance openings) along its length, allowing the drilling and construction to proceed from multiple work points, rather than just from the two ends. |
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| West side of the Turtletown Adit |
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| Entry portal of the Turtletown Adit Used for maintenance, etc. |
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| View to the east, as the penstock (pipe) crosses Turtletown Creek |
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| The penstock here is 16 feet in diameter. Reduced from the 18 foot diameter which comprises the majority of the tunnel... |
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| Looking across the creek from underneath the penstock |
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| There is a substantial water leak just before the penstock re-enters the adit portal. In looking at some old photos, it appears that this spot has been leaking for a number of years... |
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| The above-ground section of penstock here is 646 feet long... |
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| Concrete transition between the penstock and the mountain-side... |
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| Footings from the Blower or Compressor buildings |
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| More footings |
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| Foundations and footings... |
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| Pipe from the Blower or Compressor building |
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| My presumed identification of these footings/foundations is based on the McFarland Adit layout plan |
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| Undergrowth had leafed out since last month's visit, so it was hard to tell what was what... |
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| I would have cleaned off some of the deadfall, but there was poison ivy everywhere. |
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| I'll just have to make a return next winter for cleaner photographs. |
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| View from north side of the adit, with one of the old footings visible at right. |
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| Looking down into Turtletown Creek, from just upstream of the adit. |
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| Turtletown Creek |
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| Turtletown Creek flows under the penstock |