Lewis Smith water level — Alabama
Lewis Smith in Alabama was last measured at 504.41 ft (datum NGVD29), as of Aug 31, 2026, 8:15 AM (UTC+00:00) (USACE CWMS Data). Over its recent trend window the level has been steady (0.0 ft).
- % of conservation pool full
- Not reported
- Storage
- Not reported
- Recent trend
- →Steady
0.0 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/Smith, 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 2004 .
The dam behind Lewis Smith
Lewis Smith is held back by Lewis Smith , a rockfill embankment — quarried rock placed in compacted layers around a sealing core , standing 300 ft high and running 2,200 ft along its crest , built across Sipsey Fork, Warrior River in Walker County , near Sipsey . It was completed in 1961 , 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;navigation;recreation;flood risk reduction.
It is founded on rock, with a earth core. Its spillway is ungated: once the pool reaches the crest, water leaves on its own and the operator cannot hold it back. The spillway opening is 350 ft wide.
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 21,200 acres. NID records a maximum storage of 1,670,600 acre-ft against a normal storage of 1,390,000 acre-ft. Its maximum discharge capacity is 317,800 cubic feet per second.
Dam facts: National Inventory of Dams record AL01420 , 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 Lewis Smith compares nearby
1 of 6 nearby lakes with a current trend are also steady 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 | 59 km |
| Bankhead Lock and Dam | AL | 254.47 ft | 59 km |
| Holt Lock and Dam | AL | 186.49 ft | 83 km |
| Lake Tuscaloosa | AL | 222.52 ft | 84 km |
| Logan Martin | AL | 465.00 ft | 90 km |
| Oliver Lock and Dam | AL | 123.99 ft | 93 km |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the current water level of Lewis Smith?
- As of Aug 31, 2026, 8:15 AM (UTC+00:00), the pool elevation was 504.41 ft (datum NGVD29). See the trend chart above for the recent direction.
- Is Lewis Smith 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/Smith, 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.