Sweetwater Lake - Site 7
Sweetwater Lake - Site 7 is an earth dam located in Cleburne County, Alabama, built in 1971. It carries a High hazard potential classification.
About Sweetwater Lake - Site 7
The primary purpose of Sweetwater Lake - Site 7 is flood risk reduction. The dam is designed to control downstream flooding by temporarily storing excess water during storms and releasing it at a controlled rate. The dam is owned by Usda Fs (federal). It impounds the Shoal Creek near Oxford.
The dam stands 74 feet tall and stretches 777 feet across, has a maximum storage capacity of 6,610 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 9 square miles. Completed in 1971, the structure is well into its service life at over 50 years old.
This dam carries a high hazard potential classification, which means that a failure or uncontrolled release of water would likely cause loss of human life. This classification reflects the consequences of failure, not the likelihood — it indicates that people live or work in the area downstream. Notably, no emergency action plan is currently on file for this high-hazard dam. The most recent inspection on record was 04/01/2014. That was 12 years ago — unusually long for a high-hazard dam, which typically requires more frequent inspections.
At 74 feet, this dam is taller than 97% of all dams in the United States.
Living Downstream
If you live or work downstream of this dam, consider taking these steps: learn your local evacuation routes, check whether your county emergency management office has a dam failure inundation map, and sign up for local emergency alerts. The Alabama dam safety program can provide more specific information about emergency planning for this structure.
Search for dams near your address to see all dams in your area with hazard classifications and safety data.
Location
| State | Alabama |
| County | Cleburne |
| Nearest City | Oxford |
| River/Stream | Shoal Creek |
| Coordinates | 33.74170, -85.58330 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 74 ft |
| Dam Height | 74 ft |
| Dam Length | 777 ft |
| Year Completed | 1971 (55 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 6,610 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 6,610 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 326 acre-ft |
| Drainage Area | 9 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 6,346 cfs |
| Spillway Type | Controlled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Flood Risk Reduction |
| Owner | USDA FS |
| Owner Type | Federal |
| Hazard Classification | High |
| Condition Assessment | Not Rated |
| Last Inspection | 04/01/2014 |
| Emergency Action Plan | No |
Identifiers
| NID ID | AL00615 |
| Federal ID | AL00615 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |