Camp Horne Lake

Camp Horne Lake is an earth dam located in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama, built in 1947. It carries a High hazard potential classification.

Hazard potentialHighFailure would probably cost lives
ConditionNot assessed
Emergency action planNone on file
Last inspectionNot reported
Height22 ft
Built194779 years ago

Dam profile

NID height · 22 ft
22 FT TWO-STORY HOUSEMEDIAN U.S. DAM · 24 FT

22 ft tall and 382 ft long. 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 Camp Horne Lake

The primary purpose of Camp Horne Lake is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Boy Scouts of America (private). It impounds the Tr Bee Branch near Cottondale.

The dam stands 22 feet tall and stretches 382 feet across, and has a maximum storage capacity of 64 acre-feet. Completed in 1947, the structure is well-established, with more than 75 years of service.

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
Coordinates33.18667, -87.40000

Physical Characteristics

Dam TypeEarth
NID Height22 ft
Dam Length382 ft
Year Completed1947 (79 years old)

Storage & Hydraulics

NID Storage64 acre-ft
Max Storage64 acre-ft
Normal Storage41 acre-ft
Max Discharge246 cfs

Ownership & Safety

PurposeRecreation
OwnerBoy Scouts of America
Owner TypePrivate
Hazard ClassificationHigh
Condition AssessmentNot assessed
Emergency Action PlanNo

Identifiers

NID IDAL01153
Federal IDAL01153
More InfoASDSO on Alabama (no state dam safety program)