A 1,640 foot (500 m) stretch of the Upper Ocoee River was narrowed by two-thirds to create the drops and eddies needed for a slalom course.

Because the river is dry most of the year, the Center, now operated by the U.S. Forest Service, also serves as a site for hiking, mountain biking, conferences, weddings, and receptions.

The more recent Olympic venues, built closer to their host cities, rely entirely on pumped water and use smaller concrete channels designed to minimize the energy cost of running the pumps.Levees built along the shore of the Ocoee River, and covered with natural rock, reduced its width from 200 feet (61 m) to 70 feet (21 m), which is still twice the width of most artificial whitewater channels.

Even at this reduced width, for the water surface to have the desired dynamics the streamflow needed to be 1,400 cu ft/s (40 m3/s), which is two or three times greater than the flow of most artificial whitewater channels.

The Upper Ocoee, the 3.5 mi (5.6 km) section of the river between Dam #3 and its powerhouse, is normally dewatered except during flood control releases, usually during the winter and spring.

[9] The popular rafting industry generates enough revenue to partially compensate the Tennessee Valley Authority for lost electricity, but slalom athletes need a cheaper place to practice.

[14] Commercial rafts often go down the right side at Humongous for the two-drop roller coaster ride, sometimes flipping and dumping their occupants in the water at the second drop.

In 1976, the sudden appearance of water in the long-dry Middle Ocoee river attracted private canoers and kayakers and commercial rafting operators, who by 1983, when the flume was put back in service, had enough political clout and money to strike a deal with TVA for regular recreational releases during the summer months.

According to a 13-year agreement now in force, the Upper Ocoee, below Dam #3 and flowing past the Whitewater Center, has mid-day water 34 days a year, on summer weekends.

A large fire destroyed the Ocoee Whitwater Center's main building in the early morning hours of April 26, 2022.

The westbound lanes of the road were originally constructed as the parking and staging area for the Olympics, later allowing it to become a divided highway at this point to handle summertime traffic.