Impoundments
The Tallapoosa River, at the site where Yates Dam now sits, was the earlier site of the first hydroelectric dam in Alabama, built in 1902, by Henry C. Jones, an Auburn University electrical engineer. Rebuilt after the flood of 1919, the dam that then belonged to the Montgomery Light & Water Power Company was replaced by a third dam, the 1928 Yates Dam.
Currently, there are four hydroelectric dams on the Tallapoosa River: Yates Dam, Thurlow Dam, Martin Dam, and R.L. Harris Dam.
Environmentalists from the American Rivers Organization believe that obstructing and varying the flow of the river with dams is damaging to wildlife in the area.
The table below outlines the four impoundments (dams) on the Tallapoosa River from south to north.
| Impoundment | Description | Images |
|---|---|---|
| Lake Thurlow (Lower Tallasee Dam) | Lake Thurlow was impounded in 1930. Thurlow Dam was built in Tallassee at the site of an early 19th century textile mill that was used during the Civil War as a uniform and ammunition plant. The Benjamin Fitzpatrick Bridge spans the river immediately south of Thurlow Dam. | |
| Lake Yates (Upper Tallasee Dam) | Lake Yates was impounded July 1, 1928 and named for Eugene A. Yates, the Chief Engineer for Alabama Power dam building efforts hired in 1912. The nearest town is Tallassee, Alabama. One public access site is maintained by Alabama Power. | |
| Lake Martin | Lake Martin was impounded December 31, 1926 and named for Thomas Martin, president of Alabama Power Company from 1920 to 1949 and chief executive officer from 1949 to 1963. The lake impounds 44,000 acres (160 km²) with 700 miles (1000 km) of shoreline. The nearest town is Alexander City, Alabama. Lake Martin is an Alabama Power lake with an 154,200 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 and white bass. Alabama Power maintain eleven public access sites maintained on the lake. | |
| Lake R. L. Harris (Lake Wedowee) | Lake R. L. Harris Lake was impounded April 20, 1983 and named for Rother L. "Judge" Harris, an Alabama Power director and vice president of electric operations. The lake covers 10,600 acres (43 km²) with 271 miles (436 km) of shoreline. The nearest town is Wedowee, Alabama. R. L. Harris is an Alabama Power lake with an 135,000 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 six public access sites on the lake. |
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