Impoundments and Sections
The following table describes the seven impoundments on the Coosa River from the south to north built by the Alabama Power Company as well as the tailwater section below Jordan Dam. Harvey H. Jackson III in a book Putting Loafing Streams To Work characterized the importance of the first Coosa River dams as follows:
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Prior to 1912 only seventy-two Alabama communities had electricity, but by 1928, when Jordan Dam went into operation, Alabama Power served four hundred twenty-one communities in sixty-one of Alabama's sixty-seven counties. The company also provided power for coal and iron mines, cotton mills, cement plants, quarries, steel plants and rolling mills, foundries, pipe plants and machine shops, ice plants, public utilities, and electric furnance installations, industries that put thousands of citizens to work. |
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| Impoundment/Section | Description | Images |
|---|---|---|
| Jordan Dam Tailwater | The Jordan Dam Tailwater flows approximate 7.5 miles into Wetumpka, Alabama and is a combination of pools, shoals and rapids. Alabama Power currently maintains minimum flow releases from Jordan Dam for whitewater boating and aquatic enhancement of the Coosa and Alabama Rivers below the dam. This section of river is home to the infamous Moccasin Gap rapids, a class III whitewater. | |
| Lake Jordan | Lake Jordan was impounded December 31, 1928 and named after the maiden name (Jordan) of the mother of Reuben and Sidney Mitchell, who were instrumental in the construction of Mitchell Dam on the Coosa River. The dam is 125 ft high and impounds 6800 acres (28 km²). Lake Jordan has a surface elevation of 252’ MSL and 180 miles of shoreline. The nearest town is Wetumpka, Alabama. It is an Alabama Power lake with an 100,000 Kilowatt generating capacity. Lake Jordan is an excellent recreational lake with fishing opportunities for largemouth bass, spotted bass, bluegill and other sunfish, crappie, catfish, striped bass, hybrid and white bass. It was the location of the 2004 Bass Masters Classic Tournament. The lake has two public access sites maintained by Alabama Power. | |
| Lake Bouldin | Impounded July 27, 1967 and named for Walter Bouldin, Bouldin is part of Lake Jordan and is connected to Lake Jordan and the Coosa River by two man made canals. Bouldin added 225,000 kilowatt generating power to the Lake Jordan system. On February 10, 1975, an earth embankment section of Walter Bouldin Dam breached, causing total evacuation of the forebay reservoir and rendering the 225-MW power plant inoperable. No casualties or property damage (beyond the dam itself) were reported, and the dam was subsequently reconstructed. | |
| Lake Mitchell | Lake Mitchell was impounded August 15, 1923 and named for James Mitchell, Alabama Power president from 1912 to 1920. The dam impounds 5850 acres (24 km²) and created a lake with 147 miles of shoreline. The nearest town is Clanton, Alabama. Lake Mitchell is an Alabama Power lake with an 170,000 kilowatt generating capacity. It is an excellent recreational lake with fishing opportunities for largemouth bass, spotted bass, bluegill and other sunfish, crappie, catfish, walleye, striped bass, hybrid and white bass. Alabama Power maintains three public access sites on the lake. | |
| Lay Lake | Lay Lake was impounded in 1914 and named after Captain William Patrick Lay, the first Alabama Power President. The dam impounds 12,000 acres (49 km²) with a shoreline of 289 miles. The nearest town is Columbiana, Alabama. Lay Lake is an Alabama Power lake with 177,000 kilowatt generating capacity. It is an excellent recreational lake with fishing opportunities for largemouth bass, spotted bass, bluegill and other sunfish, crappie, catfish, striped bass, hybrid and white bass. Alabama Power maintains seven public access sites on the lake. Lay Dam was one of the earliest concrete dams in the US and its construction helped pioneer dam building technology in the early 20th century. | |
| Lake Logan Martin | Lake Logan Martin was impounded August 10, 1964 and named after William Logan Martin, Jr. He was a circuit court judge in Montgomery and also served as attorney general for the State of Alabama. The lake covers 15,263 acres (61.8 km²) and has 275 miles of shoreline. The nearest town is Pell City, Alabama. Lake Logan Martin is an Alabama Power lake with an 128,250 Kilowatt annual generating capacity. It is an excellent recreational lake with fishing opportunities for largemouth bass, spotted bass, bluegill and other sunfish, crappie, catfish, striped bass, hybrid and white bass. Alabama Power maintains three public access sites on the lake. | |
| Lake Neely Henry | Lake Neely Henry was impounded June 2, 1966 and named for H. Neely Henry, a senior executive vice-president of Alabama Power Company. The dam impounds 11,200 acres (45.3 km²) with 339 miles of shoreline. The nearest town is Ohatchee, Alabama. Lake Neely Henry is an Alabama Power lake with an 72,900 kilowatt generating capacity. It is an excellent recreational lake with fishing opportunities for largemouth bass, spotted bass, bluegill and other sunfish, crappie, catfish, striped bass, hybrid and white bass. Alabama Power maintains three public access sites on the lake. | |
| Lake Weiss | Lake Weiss was impounded June 5, 1961 and named for F.C. Weiss, a former chief engineer of Alabama Power. The dam impounds a 30,200 acres (122 km²) lake with 447 miles of shoreline. The nearest town is Leesburg, Alabama. Lake Weiss is an Alabama Power lake with an 87,750 kilowatt generating capacity. It is an excellent recreational lake with fishing opportunities for largemouth bass, spotted bass, bluegill and other sunfish, crappie, catfish, striped bass, hybrid and white bass. Weiss Lake is known for it excellent crappie fishing and often called the “Crappie Capital of the World”. Alabama Power maintains five Public Access sites on the lake. |
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