Holt Lock and Dam is a gravity dam located in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama, built in 1968. It carries a High hazard potential classification.
Dam profile
NID height · 120 ft120 ft tall and 1,400 ft long, taller than 98% of U.S. dams with a recorded height. Height is drawn to scale against a ten-story building, about 100 ft; the profile is a generic concrete gravity section and the water level is illustrative.
About Holt Lock and Dam
The primary purpose of Holt Lock and Dam is navigation. The dam maintains water levels sufficient for boat and barge traffic, supporting commercial or recreational navigation on the waterway. The dam is owned by USACE - Mobile District (federal). It impounds the Black Warrior River near Holt.
The dam stands 120 feet tall and stretches 1,400 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 3,300 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 187,400 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 4,232 square miles. Completed in 1968, 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. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 05/22/2025.
At 120 feet, this dam is taller than 98% of all dams in the United States.
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 | Tuscaloosa |
| Nearest City | Holt |
| River/Stream | Black Warrior River |
| Coordinates | 33.25405, -87.44948 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Gravity |
| NID Height | 120 ft |
| Dam Height | 58 ft |
| Dam Length | 1,400 ft |
| Year Completed | 1968 (58 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 187,400 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 187,400 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 117,990 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 3,300 acres |
| Drainage Area | 4,232 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 639,500 cfs |
| Spillway Type | Controlled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Navigation |
| Owner | USACE - Mobile District |
| Owner Type | Federal |
| Hazard Classification | High |
| Condition Assessment | Not assessed |
| Last Inspection | 05/22/2025 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Yes |
Identifiers
| NID ID | AL01426 |
| Federal ID | AL01426 |
| More Info | ASDSO on Alabama (no state dam safety program) |