Springhill Lake Dam

Springhill Lake Dam is an earth dam located in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama, built in 1955. It carries a High hazard potential classification.

Hazard potentialHighFailure would probably cost lives
ConditionNot assessed
Emergency action planNone on file
Last inspectionNot reported
Height27 ft
Built195571 years ago

Dam profile

NID height · 27 ft
27 FT TWO-STORY HOUSEMEDIAN U.S. DAM · 24 FT

27 ft tall and 447 ft long, taller than 59% 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 Springhill Lake Dam

The primary purpose of Springhill Lake Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Paver Land and Realty Co (private). It impounds the Cypress Creek near Tuscaloosa.

The dam stands 27 feet tall and stretches 447 feet across, and has a maximum storage capacity of 153 acre-feet. Completed in 1955, 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 CityTuscaloosa
River/StreamCypress Creek
Coordinates33.15955, -87.48968

Physical Characteristics

Dam TypeEarth
NID Height27 ft
Dam Length447 ft
Year Completed1955 (71 years old)

Storage & Hydraulics

NID Storage153 acre-ft
Max Storage153 acre-ft
Normal Storage135 acre-ft
Max Discharge2,778 cfs

Ownership & Safety

PurposeRecreation
OwnerPaver Land and Realty Co
Owner TypePrivate
Hazard ClassificationHigh
Condition AssessmentNot assessed
Emergency Action PlanNo

Identifiers

NID IDAL01151
Federal IDAL01151
More InfoASDSO on Alabama (no state dam safety program)