Fontana was not designed as an overflow dam. This is Fontana -- a dam and its lake, a community and its recreation, a story of courage and human endeavor. The highest dam in the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) system, Fontana ranks among the most beautiful in the world.  Surrounded by the extraordinary beauty of the Smoky Mountains, the adjacent national forests, and deep river gorges. Built just as America was entering World War II, Fontana supplied electricity to fuel the war effort.  In peacetime, Fontana helps improve navigation on the Tennessee River and controls flooding that once reached as far as Chattanooga. Built in just over three years, during a time of historic shortages of steel and manpower, the Fontana project is a fascinating account of dam construction in the remote reaches of deep forest and tall mountains.