Jenkins No 3 is an earth dam located in Etowah County, Alabama, built in 1939. It carries a High hazard potential classification.
Dam profile
NID height · 12 ft12 ft tall and 800 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 Jenkins No 3
The primary purpose of Jenkins No 3 is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by W D Jenkins (private). It impounds the Tr Payne Branch near Walnut Grove.
The dam stands 12 feet tall and stretches 800 feet across, and has a maximum storage capacity of 330 acre-feet. Completed in 1939, 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 | Etowah |
| Nearest City | Walnut Grove |
| River/Stream | Tr Payne Branch |
| Coordinates | 34.05454, -86.31707 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 12 ft |
| Dam Length | 800 ft |
| Year Completed | 1939 (87 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 330 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 330 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 250 acre-ft |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Recreation |
| Owner | W D Jenkins |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | High |
| Condition Assessment | Not assessed |
| Emergency Action Plan | No |
Identifiers
| NID ID | AL01247 |
| Federal ID | AL01247 |
| More Info | ASDSO on Alabama (no state dam safety program) |