Lake Grace Dam

Lake Grace Dam is an earth dam located in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama, built in 1951. It carries a High hazard potential classification.

Hazard potentialHighFailure would probably cost lives
ConditionNot assessed
Emergency action planNone on file
Last inspectionNot reported
Height25 ft
Built195175 years ago

Dam profile

NID height · 25 ft
25 FT TWO-STORY HOUSEMEDIAN U.S. DAM · 24 FT

25 ft tall and 400 ft long, taller than 50% 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 Lake Grace Dam

The primary purpose of Lake Grace Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Dorothy C Hodnette (private). It impounds the Tr Bee Branch near Cottondale.

The dam stands 25 feet tall and stretches 400 feet across, and has a maximum storage capacity of 99 acre-feet. Completed in 1951, 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.

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

StateAlabama
CountyTuscaloosa
Nearest CityCottondale
River/StreamTr Bee Branch
Coordinates33.16405, -87.38448

Physical Characteristics

Dam TypeEarth
NID Height25 ft
Dam Length400 ft
Year Completed1951 (75 years old)

Storage & Hydraulics

NID Storage99 acre-ft
Max Storage99 acre-ft
Normal Storage84 acre-ft
Max Discharge422 cfs

Ownership & Safety

PurposeRecreation
OwnerDorothy C Hodnette
Owner TypePrivate
Hazard ClassificationHigh
Condition AssessmentNot assessed
Emergency Action PlanNo

Identifiers

NID IDAL01130
Federal IDAL01130
More InfoASDSO on Alabama (no state dam safety program)