Fort Payne Dam #2

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

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