Cahulga Creek W/s Dam Site 1 is an earth dam located in Cleburne County, Alabama, built in 1972. It carries a High hazard potential classification.
Dam profile
NID height · 46 ft46 ft tall and 775 ft long, taller than 91% of U.S. dams with a recorded height. Height is drawn to scale against a ten-story building, about 100 ft; the profile is a generic embankment section and the water level is illustrative.
About Cahulga Creek W/s Dam Site 1
The primary purpose of Cahulga Creek W/s Dam Site 1 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 Heflin Al City of (local government). It impounds the Cahulga Creek near Heflin.
The dam stands 46 feet tall and stretches 775 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 84 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 3,940 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 6 square miles. Completed in 1972, 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. The most recent inspection on record was 03/04/2014. That was 12 years ago — unusually long for a high-hazard dam, which typically requires more frequent inspections.
At 46 feet, this dam is taller than 91% 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. Alabama is the only state with no dam safety program, so there is no state office to contact about this structure; the federal record above is what exists. ASDSO's page on Alabama explains the gap.
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 | Heflin |
| River/Stream | Cahulga Creek |
| Coordinates | 33.65103, -85.60434 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 46 ft |
| Dam Height | 46 ft |
| Dam Length | 775 ft |
| Year Completed | 1972 (54 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 3,940 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 3,940 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 637 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 84 acres |
| Drainage Area | 6 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 21,177 cfs |
| Spillway Type | Uncontrolled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Flood Risk Reduction |
| Owner | Heflin Al City of |
| Owner Type | Local Government |
| Hazard Classification | High |
| Condition Assessment | Not assessed |
| Last Inspection | 03/04/2014 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Not Required |
Identifiers
| NID ID | AL00616 |
| Federal ID | AL00616 |
| More Info | ASDSO on Alabama (no state dam safety program) |