Lake Melaken is an earth dam located in Shelby County, Alabama, built in 1959. It carries a High hazard potential classification.
Dam profile
NID height · 35 ft35 ft tall and 530 ft long, taller than 80% 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 Lake Melaken
The primary purpose of Lake Melaken is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Ken Peeler (private). It impounds the Trib to Hogpen Cr near Pelham,al.
The dam stands 35 feet tall and stretches 530 feet across, and has a maximum storage capacity of 210 acre-feet. Completed in 1959, 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. Notably, no emergency action plan is currently on file for this high-hazard dam.
At 35 feet, this dam is taller than 80% of dams nationwide.
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 | Shelby |
| Nearest City | Pelham,al |
| River/Stream | Trib to Hogpen Cr |
| Coordinates | 33.29500, -86.78833 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 35 ft |
| Dam Length | 530 ft |
| Year Completed | 1959 (67 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 210 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 210 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 200 acre-ft |
| Max Discharge | 2,375 cfs |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Recreation |
| Owner | Ken Peeler |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | High |
| Condition Assessment | Not assessed |
| Emergency Action Plan | No |
Identifiers
| NID ID | AL01461 |
| Federal ID | AL01461 |
| More Info | ASDSO on Alabama (no state dam safety program) |