KINGSPORT, Tenn. (WJHL) — Seven years after its closure, the Boone Dam Public Recreation Area is set to reopen in time for Memorial Day weekend.
The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is set to re-open the recreation area Wednesday, May 25 at 3 p.m. as the Boone Dam project reached its end goal after seven years of repairs.
“This officially marks the end of the project,” said Mary Ellen Miller, a TVA spokesperson. “We’ll still have a few button-up items. They may see some of our construction folks around but it’s very much complete at this point where you turn the recreational area back to the public for their use.”
The TVA began work on the Boone Dam in October 2014 after discovering a sinkhole had formed near the dam’s base. According to the TVA, the project was completed in two million hours.
Boone Lake reached a full summer pool and reopened to the public for swimming and fishing for the first time since 2014 in 2021.
In 2022, TVA officials had set the goal of reaching the full pool by June 1 but achieved the goal by May 20.
The event will include informational booths open to the community.
“For example, natural resources, construction, dam safety, engineering — all these different areas that have come together to make this project a success,” said Miller. “We’ll be showcasing three of our community partners that we’ve worked with so closely throughout the project.”
Wednesday’s event is from 3-5 p.m. and is free and open to the public. Watch the celebration for its reopening here.