Cheaha Creek W/s Dam Site 6 is an earth dam located in Talladega County, Alabama, built in 1970. It carries a High hazard potential classification.
Dam profile
NID height · 79 ft79 ft tall and 1,000 ft long, taller than 97% 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 Cheaha Creek W/s Dam Site 6
The primary purpose of Cheaha Creek W/s Dam Site 6 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 Talladega Co. Commission (local government). It impounds the Cheaha Creek near Munford.
The dam stands 79 feet tall and stretches 1,000 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 38 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 12,580 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 27 square miles. Completed in 1970, 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 03/04/2004. That was 22 years ago — unusually long for a high-hazard dam, which typically requires more frequent inspections.
At 79 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. 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 | Talladega |
| Nearest City | Munford |
| River/Stream | Cheaha Creek |
| Coordinates | 33.48611, -85.94167 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 79 ft |
| Dam Height | 79 ft |
| Dam Length | 1,000 ft |
| Year Completed | 1970 (56 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 12,580 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 12,580 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 190 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 38 acres |
| Drainage Area | 27 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 17,200 cfs |
| Spillway Type | Uncontrolled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Flood Risk Reduction |
| Owner | Talladega Co. Commission |
| Owner Type | Local Government |
| Hazard Classification | High |
| Condition Assessment | Not assessed |
| Last Inspection | 03/04/2004 |
| Emergency Action Plan | No |
Identifiers
| NID ID | AL01079 |
| Federal ID | AL01079 |
| More Info | ASDSO on Alabama (no state dam safety program) |