Through a post-rain haze on a foggy Wednesday morning, the Ocoee River's wooden flume sat as it has for more than 100 years: high above the river overlooking the rocky terrain hundreds of feet below.
However, for months, the flume hasn't been able to serve its purpose - diverting water for power production. The cliff now is finally secure, meaning Tennessee Valley Authority crews and contractors can begin the months-long process of repairing the historic structure.
"There's safety challenges of where it's actually located. It's cut out in a ledge on the side of a cliff," plant manager David Falls said. "Moving people, material and equipment is a challenge in itself. We have to stabilize and move rock and split it into smaller pieces. It all takes time."
A sheet of rock bigger than a sedan slid from the mountainside Nov. 8, crushing about 40 feet of the flume. It hasn't been operable since.
TVA has spent months just trying to secure the structure. More rock had to be taken down from above the flume so that it wouldn't come crashing down on top of workers.
"Once a slide starts, you have to finish what Mother Nature started," construction manager Tom Davis said. "... Our main concern is safety first, and doing the job is No. 2."
A national crew was called in to rappel down the face of the cliff and break up any threatening rock that could pose a risk to workers. After breaking up rock, they blew up additional pieces that fell onto the boulder atop the flume and shattered it to bits.
Safety rails and walkways were added, and a shelter for workers is being built in the small space between the flume and the cliff. Some of the equipment for the project has been brought to the break site via a rail car on top of the flume. Much more, including a skid-steer loader and mini excavator, is still to come.
It's been three months since the flume was broken, and crews are now able to begin removing debris to rebuild it. To fix the area, they actually had to make the problem worse. Crews had to tear back part of the flume and the railway before they could rebuild it because of how it was originally structured.
It's expected to reopen this spring before the full recreational rafting season on the Upper Ocoee. However, that could change.
"There's still some discovery to be done. We don't know what was done underneath," Falls said.
Crews aren't entirely sure what they'll find underneath the slide. They have an idea of what it should look like and how they'll repair it, but that could change if they clear the debris and find the damage is far worse than feared.
"That would pose a risk to the schedule and the budget," Falls said.
The TVA has other aspects of the project to consider, as well. The flume is registered on the National Register of Historic Places, so they are required to keep the structure's original look.
TVA customers are not expected to see an impact from the incident, spokesman Scott Fiedler said.
The public utility company has a "diversified portfolio," he said, meaning it gets power from coal, solar, hydroelectricity, wind and other sources. When something happens to one power generator, the company relies on its others with no impact to customers, he said.
For the TVA, the project is budgeted to cost $1.4 million, but it's something for which the agency planned.
"It's part of the budget. It's what I call the 'Mother Nature Contingency Fund,'" Fiedler said. "We have to have funds in place to handle whatever Mother Nature throws at us."
Contact staff writer Mark Pace at mpace@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6361. Follow him on Twitter @themarkpace and on Facebook @Chattanooga Outdoors.