Dawes Lake

Dawes Lake is an earth dam located in Mobile County, Alabama. It carries a High hazard potential classification.

Hazard potentialHighFailure would probably cost lives
ConditionNot assessed
Emergency action planNone on file
Last inspectionNot reported
Height20 ft

Dam profile

NID height · 20 ft
20 FT TWO-STORY HOUSEMEDIAN U.S. DAM · 24 FT

20 ft tall and 355 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 Dawes Lake

The primary purpose of Dawes Lake is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Dawes Lake Estates Property Owners Association Inc Joe Manachino (private). It impounds the Tr-halls Mill Creek near Mobile.

The dam stands 20 feet tall and stretches 355 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 9 acres, and has a maximum storage capacity of 97 acre-feet.

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

StateAlabama
CountyMobile
Nearest CityMobile
River/StreamTr-halls Mill Creek
Coordinates30.62352, -88.24693

Physical Characteristics

Dam TypeEarth
NID Height20 ft
Dam Height20 ft
Dam Length355 ft

Storage & Hydraulics

NID Storage97 acre-ft
Max Storage97 acre-ft
Surface Area9 acres

Ownership & Safety

PurposeRecreation
OwnerDawes Lake Estates Property Owners Association Inc Joe Manachino
Owner TypePrivate
Hazard ClassificationHigh
Condition AssessmentNot assessed
Emergency Action PlanNo

Identifiers

NID IDAL83487
Federal IDAL83487
More InfoASDSO on Alabama (no state dam safety program)