Bankhead Lock and Dam water level — Alabama
Bankhead Lock and Dam in Alabama was last measured at 254.47 ft (datum NGVD29), as of Aug 22, 2026, 1:15 PM (UTC+00:00) (USACE CWMS Data). Over its recent trend window the level has been falling (−0.3 ft).
- % of conservation pool full
- Not reported
- Storage
- 291,315 acre-ft
- Recent trend
- ↓Falling
−0.3 ft over the trend window
Recent trend
Readings this station published between Jun 2, 2026 and Jun 7, 2026 — a 5-day window — downsampled for display.
Data: USGS Water Services (waterservices.usgs.gov) and USACE CWMS Data (cwms-data.usace.army.mil), retrieved 2026-08-31. Both public domain (a work of the U.S. Government, 17 U.S.C. §105).
Source: USACE SAM/Bankhead, retrieved Aug 31, 2026, 8:24 AM (UTC+00:00). Official page for this lake →
About this gauge's record
USACE's continuous elevation record for this project begins in 1963 (2 tracked series for this project).
The dam behind Bankhead Lock and Dam
Bankhead Lock and Dam is held back by John Hollis Bankhead Lock and Dam (also recorded as Lake Bankhead) , a concrete gravity structure, resisting the reservoir by its own weight alone , standing 111 ft high and running 1,310 ft along its crest , built across BLACK WARRIOR RIVER in Tuscaloosa County , near HOWSE CAMP . It was completed in 1975 and modified in 1969S;1975O , and is owned by USACE - Mobile District (a federal owner) , to a design credited to Alabama Power Co.;CESAM.
Its recorded primary purpose is navigation — the pool is held inside a narrow band to keep a navigable depth, so large swings are rare by design . It also serves navigation;recreation;hydroelectric.
Its spillway is gated, so the operator can hold the pool above the spillway crest and meter what leaves. The spillway opening is 1,023 ft wide. Its outlet works use vertical lift22.
NID classes it high hazard potential. That describes what a failure would cost downstream — loss of life would be expected — and says nothing about how likely a failure is, or what condition the dam is in.
At its normal pool the reservoir covers about 9,245 acres. NID records a maximum storage of 296,000 acre-ft against a normal storage of 269,215 acre-ft. Its maximum discharge capacity is 666,000 cubic feet per second.
Dam facts: National Inventory of Dams record AL01427 , filed by US Army Corps of Engineers — U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, public domain. Water levels above come from USACE CWMS Data and are a separate source. (How this dam was matched to this gauge →)
Other gauges at this site
A second gauge reports at this same structure. Its readings are listed here rather than on a separate page, because it measures the same water.
| Gauge | Source | Elevation | Storage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bankhead | USACE SAM/Bankhead-Tailwater | 186.58 ft (NGVD29) | — |
How Bankhead Lock and Dam compares nearby
4 of 6 nearby lakes with a current trend are also falling right now.
Nearby lakes
The six nearest published lakes by centroid distance (great-circle) — cross-state neighbors included.
| Lake | State | Level | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bankhead | AL | 186.58 ft | 0 km |
| Holt Lock and Dam | AL | 186.49 ft | 25 km |
| Lake Tuscaloosa | AL | 222.52 ft | 26 km |
| Oliver Lock and Dam | AL | 123.99 ft | 36 km |
| Lewis Smith | AL | 504.41 ft | 59 km |
| Selden Lock and Dam | AL | 96.25 ft | 88 km |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the current water level of Bankhead Lock and Dam?
- As of Aug 22, 2026, 1:15 PM (UTC+00:00), the pool elevation was 254.47 ft (datum NGVD29). See the trend chart above for the recent direction.
- Is Bankhead Lock and Dam full right now?
- Its managing agency does not publish a %-of-conservation-pool-full figure for this lake, so we show the bare level rather than estimate one.
- Where does this data come from?
- From USACE SAM/Bankhead, retrieved Aug 31, 2026, 8:24 AM (UTC+00:00).
More in Alabama
See every lake tracked in Alabama, or read the methodology behind these figures.