Dekalb County Public Lake Dam

Dekalb County Public Lake Dam is an earth dam located in DeKalb County, Alabama, built in 1967. It carries a High hazard potential classification.

About Dekalb County Public Lake Dam

The primary purpose of Dekalb County Public Lake Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by State Of Alabama (state). It impounds the Tr South Sauty Creek near Sylvania.

The dam stands 48 feet tall and stretches 665 feet across, and has a maximum storage capacity of 2,231 acre-feet. Completed in 1967, 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.

At 48 feet, this dam is taller than 92% of dams nationwide.

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.

High HazardNot Rated ConditionEmergency Action Plan: No

Location

StateAlabama
CountyDeKalb
Nearest CitySylvania
River/StreamTr South Sauty Creek
Coordinates34.57694, -85.80696

Physical Characteristics

Dam TypeEarth
NID Height48 ft
Dam Length665 ft
Year Completed1967 (59 years old)

Storage & Hydraulics

NID Storage2,231 acre-ft
Max Storage2,231 acre-ft
Normal Storage1,498 acre-ft
Max Discharge1,943 cfs

Ownership & Safety

PurposeRecreation
OwnerSTATE OF ALABAMA
Owner TypeState
Hazard ClassificationHigh
Condition AssessmentNot Rated
Emergency Action PlanNo

Identifiers

NID IDAL01203
Federal IDAL01203
More InfoState Dam Safety Program

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