▁proper ▁flows ▁of ▁water ▁continue ▁down ▁the ▁river . ▁ ▁The ▁final ▁imp ound ment ▁is ▁Tel lic o ▁Dam , ▁which ▁is ▁just ▁above ▁its ▁mouth ▁into ▁the ▁Tennessee ▁River ▁at ▁Len oir ▁City , ▁Tennessee . ▁ ▁It ▁creates ▁Tel lic o ▁Res er voir . ▁ ▁The ▁dam ▁does ▁not ▁have ▁its ▁own ▁hydro elect ric ▁gener ators ▁but ▁serves ▁to ▁increase ▁the ▁flow ▁through ▁those ▁at ▁nearby ▁Fort ▁L oud oun ▁Dam ▁on ▁the ▁Tennessee ▁by ▁means ▁of ▁a ▁canal ▁which ▁diver ts ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁flow ▁of ▁the ▁Little ▁Tennessee . ▁ ▁The ▁plan ▁to ▁build ▁the ▁dam ▁was ▁the ▁subject ▁of ▁environmental ▁controvers y ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 s ▁regarding ▁the ▁sn ail ▁d arter , ▁an ▁end anger ed ▁species . ▁ ▁It ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁major ▁legal ▁challenge ▁to ▁the ▁End anger ed ▁Species ▁Act . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁The ▁Little ▁Tennessee ▁River ▁and ▁its ▁immediate ▁waters hed ▁compr ise ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁rich est ▁arch ae ological ▁areas ▁in ▁the ▁sout he astern ▁United ▁States , ▁containing ▁substantial ▁habit ation ▁sites ▁d ating ▁back ▁to ▁as ▁early ▁as ▁ 7 , 5 0 0 ▁B . C . ▁ ▁C yrus ▁Thomas , ▁who ▁conducted ▁a ▁survey ▁of ▁earth work ▁m ounds ▁in ▁the ▁area ▁for ▁the ▁Smith son ian ▁Institution ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 8 0 s , ▁wrote ▁that ▁the ▁Little ▁Tennessee ▁River ▁was ▁" und ou bt edly ▁the ▁most ▁interesting ▁arch ae ological ▁section ▁in ▁the