Practical Information for Watts Bar Lake

Practical infrastructure for visitors and residents around Watts Bar Lake. Medical facilities, public safety contacts, the nearest airport, waste disposal, and shopping. Aggregated from public sources and verified where possible. Always confirm with the venue directly if a detail matters.

Medical and Pharmacy

Roane Medical Center has an emergency department. For after-hours pharmacy needs, the 24-hour Walgreens in Oak Ridge is the closest option.

Public Safety and Emergency

911 for any actual emergency. The non-emergency numbers below are for non-urgent reports, follow-ups, and information.

Police (Non-Emergency)

• Kingston Police Department: (865) 376-2081
• Rockwood Police Department: (865) 354-3388
• Harriman Police Department: (865) 882-3383
• Spring City Police Department: (423) 365-6225
• Roane County Sheriff: (865) 376-5582
• Rhea County Sheriff: (423) 775-7837

Fire and Other Agencies

• West Roane County Volunteer Fire Department (non-emergency): (865) 354-8201
• TVA Police (dam-area incidents): (800) 238-6264
• U.S. Coast Guard: 911 or marine VHF Channel 16 for on-water emergencies.
• TWRA (boating, fishing, wildlife violations): 1-800-262-6704

For boating safety, swim safety, and the active hazardous-waters zone near the dam, see /safety/.

Airport and Ground Transportation

McGhee Tyson Airport (TYS) in Alcoa, Tennessee is the nearest airport with commercial passenger service. Address: 2055 Alcoa Hwy, Alcoa, TN 37701.

Uber and Lyft are not active in the immediate Watts Bar Lake area. Plan for a rental car at TYS or pre-arranged transportation. Knoxville-area rideshare can sometimes accept a one-way fare to the lake from TYS but should not be relied on for return trips.

Closest major commercial airports beyond TYS: Chattanooga (CHA) to the south. Nashville (BNA) to the west.

A note on travel times. Watts Bar Lake is long and narrow with only two bridges. A destination that's a short drive from the Kingston end can be a much longer drive from the Spring City end and vice versa. Use the Google Maps links on this site to compute drive time from your specific starting point.

Waste Disposal and Recycling (Roane County)

Unincorporated Roane County does not have curbside trash pickup. Residents and visitors drop off bagged household waste at one of twelve county-operated convenience centers. Check current hours through Roane County government or the Solid Waste Department page.

Central Recycling Center: 215 White Pine Road, Harriman, TN 37748. Open Monday through Saturday, 9 AM to 5 PM. Accepts cardboard, paper, aluminum, plastic, and other recyclables.

Waste Disposal and Recycling (Rhea County)

The Spring City side of Watts Bar Lake is in Rhea County, which operates its own convenience centers and a county landfill. The Rhea County system is published at rheacountytn.org/convenience-centers.

Rhea County Convenience Center Hours:

• Sunday: 1:00 PM to 6:00 PM
• Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday: 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM
• Closed Wednesday
• Closed July 4, Thanksgiving, Christmas

Waste Disposal (Loudon and Meigs Counties)

The upper-riverine reach (north shore upstream of Kingston) is in Loudon County, and the south-shore mid-lake area is in Meigs County. Both counties operate their own waste-disposal programs. Consult Loudon County government and Meigs County government for current convenience-center listings and hours.

Shopping

Frequently Asked Questions