Beecham Lake
Beecham Lake is an earth dam located in Cleburne County, Alabama, built in 1964. It carries a High hazard potential classification.
About Beecham Lake
The primary purpose of Beecham Lake 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 Kimberley Clark& Beecham (private). It impounds the Tr-terrapin Creek near Piedmont.
The dam stands 39 feet tall and stretches 700 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 9 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 811 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 3 square miles. Completed in 1964, 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 04/12/2011. That was 14 years ago — unusually long for a high-hazard dam, which typically requires more frequent inspections.
At 39 feet, this dam is taller than 86% 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.
Location
| State | Alabama |
| County | Cleburne |
| Nearest City | Piedmont |
| River/Stream | Tr-terrapin Creek |
| Coordinates | 33.93773, -85.47387 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 39 ft |
| Dam Height | 39 ft |
| Dam Length | 700 ft |
| Year Completed | 1964 (62 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 811 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 811 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 40 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 9 acres |
| Drainage Area | 3 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 577 cfs |
| Spillway Type | Uncontrolled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Flood Risk Reduction |
| Owner | KIMBERLEY CLARK& BEECHAM |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | High |
| Condition Assessment | Not Rated |
| Last Inspection | 04/12/2011 |
| Emergency Action Plan | No |
Identifiers
| NID ID | AL00605 |
| Federal ID | AL00605 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |