Kimball Lake

Kimball Lake is an earth dam located in Etowah County, Alabama, built in 1951. It carries a High hazard potential classification.

About Kimball Lake

The primary purpose of Kimball Lake is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by W. W. Kimball (private). It impounds the Tr-hopton Creek near Rainbow City West.

The dam stands 16 feet tall and stretches 340 feet across, and has a maximum storage capacity of 50 acre-feet. Completed in 1951, 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.

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. The Alabama dam safety program can provide more specific information about emergency planning for this structure.

Search for dams near your address to see all dams in your area with hazard classifications and safety data.

High HazardNot Rated ConditionEmergency Action Plan: No

Location

StateAlabama
CountyEtowah
Nearest CityRainbow City West
River/StreamTr-hopton Creek
Coordinates33.93594, -86.05440

Physical Characteristics

Dam TypeEarth
NID Height16 ft
Dam Length340 ft
Year Completed1951 (75 years old)

Storage & Hydraulics

NID Storage50 acre-ft
Max Storage50 acre-ft
Normal Storage15 acre-ft
Max Discharge29 cfs

Ownership & Safety

PurposeRecreation
OwnerW. W. KIMBALL
Owner TypePrivate
Hazard ClassificationHigh
Condition AssessmentNot Rated
Emergency Action PlanNo

Identifiers

NID IDAL01511
Federal IDAL01511
More InfoState Dam Safety Program

Nearby Dams