Lay water level — Alabama
Lay in Alabama was last measured at 395.56 ft (datum NGVD29), as of Aug 31, 2026, 7:00 AM (UTC+00:00) (USACE CWMS Data). Over its recent trend window the level has been rising (+0.2 ft).
- % of conservation pool full
- Not reported
- Storage
- Not reported
- Recent trend
- ↑Rising
+0.2 ft over the trend window
Recent trend
Readings this station published between Jun 2, 2026 and Jun 23, 2026 — a 20-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/Lay, 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 2017 .
The dam behind Lay
Lay is held back by Lay , a concrete gravity structure, resisting the reservoir by its own weight alone , standing 130 ft high and running 2,260 ft along its crest , built across Coosa in Coosa County , near None . It was completed in 1914 , and is owned by Alabama Power Company (a public utility owner) , to a design credited to ALABAMA POWER COMPANY.
Its recorded primary purpose is hydroelectric — releases follow generation schedules, so the level can move on a daily cycle that has nothing to do with drought . It also serves hydroelectric;recreation.
It is founded on rock, with a concrete core. Its spillway is gated, so the operator can hold the pool above the spillway crest and meter what leaves. Its outlet works use tainter (radial)26.
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. Its most recent condition assessment was satisfactory — no deficiencies recognised for expected loading. That assessment is dated 04/11/2023.
At its normal pool the reservoir covers about 12,000 acres. NID records a maximum storage of 262,800 acre-ft against a normal storage of 262,800 acre-ft. Its maximum discharge capacity is 560,000 cubic feet per second.
Dam facts: National Inventory of Dams record AL01418 , filed by Federal Energy Regulatory Commission — 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 →)
How Lay compares nearby
2 of 5 nearby lakes with a current trend are also rising right now.
Nearby lakes
The six nearest published lakes by centroid distance (great-circle) — cross-state neighbors included.
| Lake | State | Level | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mitchell | AL | 311.65 ft | 19 km |
| Jordan | AL | 251.24 ft | 45 km |
| Logan Martin | AL | 465.00 ft | 54 km |
| Lake Martin | AL | 343.10 ft | 65 km |
| Robert F Henry | GA | 124.79 ft | 75 km |
| Thurlow Dam | AL | — | 76 km |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the current water level of Lay?
- As of Aug 31, 2026, 7:00 AM (UTC+00:00), the pool elevation was 395.56 ft (datum NGVD29). See the trend chart above for the recent direction.
- Is Lay 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/Lay, 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.