John Hollis Bankhead Lock and Dam is a gravity dam located in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama, built in 1975. It carries a High hazard potential classification.
Dam profile
NID height · 111 ft111 ft tall and 1,310 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 John Hollis Bankhead Lock and Dam
The primary purpose of John Hollis Bankhead 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 Howse Camp.
The dam stands 111 feet tall and stretches 1,310 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 9,245 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 296,000 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 3,981 square miles. Completed in 1975, 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 07/22/2020.
At 111 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 | Howse Camp |
| River/Stream | Black Warrior River |
| Coordinates | 33.45840, -87.35636 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Gravity |
| NID Height | 111 ft |
| Dam Length | 1,310 ft |
| Year Completed | 1975 (51 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 296,000 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 296,000 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 269,215 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 9,245 acres |
| Drainage Area | 3,981 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 666,000 cfs |
| Spillway Type | Controlled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Navigation |
| Owner | USACE - Mobile District |
| Owner Type | Federal |
| Hazard Classification | High |
| Condition Assessment | Not assessed |
| Last Inspection | 07/22/2020 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Yes |
Identifiers
| NID ID | AL01427 |
| Federal ID | AL01427 |
| More Info | ASDSO on Alabama (no state dam safety program) |