Fort Payne Dam #2 is a dam located in DeKalb County, Alabama. It carries a High hazard potential classification.
Dam profile
NID height · 8 ft8 ft tall and 495 ft long. 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 Fort Payne Dam #2
The primary purpose of Fort Payne Dam #2 is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by City of Fort Payne Ala. (local government). It impounds the Big Wills Creek near Fort Payne.
The dam stands 8 feet tall and stretches 495 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 68 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 410 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 17 square miles.
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. 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 | DeKalb |
| Nearest City | Fort Payne |
| River/Stream | Big Wills Creek |
| Coordinates | 34.52264, -85.67213 |
Physical Characteristics
| NID Height | 8 ft |
| Dam Height | 8 ft |
| Dam Length | 495 ft |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 410 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 410 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 68 acres |
| Drainage Area | 17 sq mi |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Recreation |
| Owner | City of Fort Payne Ala. |
| Owner Type | Local Government |
| Hazard Classification | High |
| Condition Assessment | Not assessed |
| Emergency Action Plan | No |
Identifiers
| NID ID | AL83481 |
| Federal ID | AL83481 |
| More Info | ASDSO on Alabama (no state dam safety program) |