Walter F. George Lock and Dam is a concrete dam located in Clay County, Alabama, built in 1962. It carries a High hazard potential classification.
Dam profile
NID height · 171 ft171 ft tall and 13,585 ft long, taller than 99% of U.S. dams with a recorded height. Height is drawn to scale against the Statue of Liberty, 305 ft ground to torch; the profile is a generic concrete gravity section and the water level is illustrative.
About Walter F. George Lock and Dam
The primary purpose of Walter F. George Lock and Dam is hydroelectric. The dam generates hydroelectric power by channeling water through turbines, converting the energy of flowing water into electricity. The dam is owned by USACE - Mobile District (federal). It impounds the Chattahoochee River near Fort Gaines.
The dam stands 171 feet tall and stretches 13,585 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 45,181 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 934,400 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 7,460 square miles. Completed in 1962, 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 07/29/2025.
At 171 feet, this dam is taller than 99% 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 | Clay |
| Nearest City | Fort Gaines |
| River/Stream | Chattahoochee River |
| Coordinates | 31.62527, -85.06436 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Concrete |
| NID Height | 171 ft |
| Dam Height | 106 ft |
| Dam Length | 13,585 ft |
| Year Completed | 1962 (64 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 934,400 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 934,400 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 934,000 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 45,181 acres |
| Drainage Area | 7,460 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 631,500 cfs |
| Spillway Type | Controlled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Hydroelectric |
| Owner | USACE - Mobile District |
| Owner Type | Federal |
| Hazard Classification | High |
| Condition Assessment | Not assessed |
| Last Inspection | 07/29/2025 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Yes |
Identifiers
| NID ID | AL01432 |
| Federal ID | AL01432 |
| More Info | ASDSO on Alabama (no state dam safety program) |