▁and ▁Tel lic o ▁Dam , ▁and ▁one ▁smaller ▁imp ound ment , ▁Por ters ▁B end ▁Dam . ▁ ▁Cour se ▁The ▁Little ▁Tennessee ▁River ▁r ises ▁in ▁the ▁Blue ▁R idge ▁Mountains , ▁in ▁the ▁Ch att ahoo che e ▁National ▁Forest ▁in ▁n ortheast ▁Georgia ' s ▁Rab un ▁County . ▁After ▁flow ing ▁north ▁through ▁the ▁mountains ▁past ▁D ill ard ▁into ▁south western ▁North ▁Carolina , ▁it ▁is ▁joined ▁by ▁the ▁C ull as aja ▁River ▁at ▁Franklin . ▁The ▁river ▁then ▁turns ▁north west , ▁flow ing ▁through ▁the ▁N ant ah ala ▁National ▁Forest ▁along ▁the ▁north ▁side ▁of ▁the ▁N ant ah ala ▁Mountains . ▁It ▁cross es ▁into ▁eastern ▁Tennessee ▁and ▁joins ▁the ▁Tennessee ▁River ▁at ▁Len oir ▁City , ▁ 2 5 ▁miles ▁( 4 0   km ) ▁south west ▁of ▁Kno x ville . ▁ ▁Imp ound ments ▁The ▁lower ▁river ▁is ▁imp ounded ▁several ▁places ▁by ▁sequ ential ▁d ams , ▁some ▁created ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Tennessee ▁Valley ▁Author ity ▁( TV A ) ▁system ; ▁they ▁form ▁a ▁string ▁of ▁res er voir s ▁in ▁western ▁North ▁Carolina ▁and ▁eastern ▁Tennessee ▁down ▁to ▁the ▁river ' s ▁confl u ence ▁with ▁the ▁Tennessee . ▁Near ▁the ▁state ▁line ▁between ▁North ▁Carolina ▁and ▁Tennessee , ▁the ▁Little ▁Tennessee ▁River ▁is ▁imp ounded ▁by ▁the ▁ ▁Font ana ▁Dam , ▁completed ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 4 , ▁forming ▁Font ana ▁Lake ▁along ▁the ▁southern ▁boundary ▁of ▁Great ▁Sm ok