Mt Laurel Lake

About Mt Laurel Lake

The primary purpose of Mt Laurel Lake is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Ebsco Development Co Inc (private). It impounds the Tr-north Fork Yellowleaf Creek near Chelsea.

The dam stands 52 feet tall and stretches 425 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 10 acres, and has a maximum storage capacity of 240 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.

At 52 feet, this dam is taller than 93% 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. The Alabama dam safety program can provide more specific information about emergency planning for this structure.

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