Marshall Mccay Lake Dam

Marshall Mccay Lake Dam is an earth dam located in Blount 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
Height16 ft
Built195175 years ago

Dam profile

NID height · 16 ft
16 FT TWO-STORY HOUSEMEDIAN U.S. DAM · 24 FT

16 ft tall and 523 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 Marshall Mccay Lake Dam

The primary purpose of Marshall Mccay Lake Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by P.glass / W.willoughby (private). It impounds the Hogeland Creek near Elvesta Community.

The dam stands 16 feet tall and stretches 523 feet across, and has a maximum storage capacity of 215 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
CountyBlount
Nearest CityElvesta Community
River/StreamHogeland Creek
Coordinates33.86527, -86.77466

Physical Characteristics

Dam TypeEarth
NID Height16 ft
Dam Length523 ft
Year Completed1951 (75 years old)

Storage & Hydraulics

NID Storage215 acre-ft
Max Storage215 acre-ft
Normal Storage101 acre-ft
Max Discharge988 cfs

Ownership & Safety

PurposeRecreation
OwnerP.glass / W.willoughby
Owner TypePrivate
Hazard ClassificationHigh
Condition AssessmentNot assessed
Emergency Action PlanNo

Identifiers

NID IDAL01169
Federal IDAL01169
More InfoASDSO on Alabama (no state dam safety program)