Mckay Lake Dam is an earth dam located in Blount County, Alabama, built in 1950. It carries a High hazard potential classification.
Dam profile
NID height · 25 ft25 ft tall and 200 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 Mckay Lake Dam
The primary purpose of Mckay Lake Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by W.l. Herrington (private). It impounds the Jourden Creek near Highland Lake Community.
The dam stands 25 feet tall and stretches 200 feet across, and has a maximum storage capacity of 233 acre-feet. Completed in 1950, 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
| State | Alabama |
| County | Blount |
| Nearest City | Highland Lake Community |
| River/Stream | Jourden Creek |
| Coordinates | 33.90364, -86.40633 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 25 ft |
| Dam Length | 200 ft |
| Year Completed | 1950 (76 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 233 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 233 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 153 acre-ft |
| Max Discharge | 795 cfs |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Recreation |
| Owner | W.l. Herrington |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | High |
| Condition Assessment | Not assessed |
| Emergency Action Plan | No |
Identifiers
| NID ID | AL01184 |
| Federal ID | AL01184 |
| More Info | ASDSO on Alabama (no state dam safety program) |