Yahou is an earth dam located in Calhoun County, Alabama, built in 1967. It carries a High hazard potential classification.
Dam profile
NID height · 41 ft41 ft tall and 400 ft long, taller than 87% of U.S. dams with a recorded height. Height is drawn to scale against a two-story house, about 25 ft; the profile is a generic embankment section and the water level is illustrative.
About Yahou
The primary purpose of Yahou is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Fort Mcclellan (federal). It impounds the Remount Creek near Fort Mcclellan.
The dam stands 41 feet tall and stretches 400 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 15 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 259 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 380 square miles. 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. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam.
At 41 feet, this dam is taller than 87% 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 | Calhoun |
| Nearest City | Fort Mcclellan |
| River/Stream | Remount Creek |
| Coordinates | 33.68729, -85.80104 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 41 ft |
| Dam Length | 400 ft |
| Year Completed | 1967 (59 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 259 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 259 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 168 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 15 acres |
| Drainage Area | 380 sq mi |
| Spillway Type | Uncontrolled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Recreation |
| Owner | Fort Mcclellan |
| Owner Type | Federal |
| Hazard Classification | High |
| Condition Assessment | Not assessed |
| Emergency Action Plan | Yes |
Identifiers
| NID ID | AL00920 |
| Federal ID | AL00920 |
| More Info | ASDSO on Alabama (no state dam safety program) |