Nottely Reservoir
Ecological health rating
Swimming advisories
Fish consumption advisories
Ecological health rating
The ecological health of Nottely Reservoir rated poor in 2007. Nottely typically rates poor due to low ratings for dissolved oxygen, chlorophyll, and bottom life. Ratings for these indicators improved in 2001, rating at the upper end of their historic range and resulting in a higher overall health rating of fair. However, subsequent monitoring indicates that the improvements were only a temporary result of the unusual rainfall and reservoir flow patterns in 2001.
TVA monitors two locations on Nottely Reservoir—the deep, still water near the dam, called the forebay, and the middle part of the reservoir—usually on a two-year cycle.
Nottely Reservoir Ecological Health Ratings, 1994-2007
Click chart for raw data.
The table below shows the ratings for individual ecological health indicators at Nottely in 2007. These ratings are briefly explained in the paragraphs that follow.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Swimming advisories
TVA has not issued any swimming advisories for Nottely Reservoir.
E. coli bacteria levels in samples collected in 2007 were within the Environmental Protection Agency’s suggested guidelines for water contact with the following exception.
- Union County Recreation Complex, Butternut Creek: Exceeded the geometric mean (geometric mean of all 10 samples) and the single sample maximum 9 of 10 sampling events
The locations sampled in 2007 were:
Site Name |
Location |
County |
State |
|---|---|---|---|
Poteet Creek Recreation Area Beach |
Nottely River Mile 22.8 |
Union |
GA |
Nottely Dam Reservation Boat Ramp |
Nottely River Mile 21.0R |
Union |
GA |
Jack Creek Boat Ramp |
Nottely River Mile 27.2L |
Union |
GA |
Union Co. Recreation Complex, Butternut Creek Mile 1.0, Swim Site |
Nottely River Mile 39.8R, US Hwy 76 |
Union |
GA |
Nottely Dam Reservation ("Bluff" Informal Swim Site near Dam) |
Nottely River Mile 20.8 |
Union |
GA |
Fish consumption advisories
There are two fish consumption advisories in effect at Nottely Reservoir. The state of Georgia advises against eating more than one meal per week of largemouth bass greater than 12 inches or striped bass greater than 16 inches because of mercury contamination.
TVA collected channel catfish and largemouth bass from Nottely for tissue analysis in the autumn of 2005. The results, which will be provided to state agencies, were similar to those of previous years. TVA will analyze fish from Nottely again in the autumn of 2009.

