Mitchell water level — Alabama

Alabama · USACE · reading Aug 31, 2026, 7:00 AM (UTC+00:00)

Mitchell in Alabama was last measured at 311.65 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 steady (−0.0 ft).

Current reading Mitchell · Alabama
Pool elevation
311.65 ft

Datum NGVD29. (Why datum matters →)

% 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.

311.7ft311.0ftJun 2 – Jun 23

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).

Not for navigation or safety decisions (why →)

Source: USACE SAM/Mitchell, 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 Mitchell

Mitchell is held back by Mitchell (also recorded as Mitchell Lake (Res)) , a concrete gravity structure, resisting the reservoir by its own weight alone , standing 106 ft high and running 1,264 ft along its crest , built across Coosa River in Chilton County , near Wetumpka . It was completed in 1923 , 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. The spillway opening is 964 ft wide. 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 fair: sound under normal loading, though a rare or extreme event could expose a deficiency. That assessment is dated 04/11/2023.

At its normal pool the reservoir covers about 5,850 acres. NID records a maximum storage of 172,000 acre-ft against a normal storage of 172,000 acre-ft. Its maximum discharge capacity is 510,000 cubic feet per second.

Dam facts: National Inventory of Dams record AL01424 , 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 Mitchell compares nearby

1 of 5 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.

Lakes nearest to Mitchell, with current level and distance.
Lake State Level Distance
Lay AL 395.56 ft 19 km
Jordan AL 251.24 ft 27 km
Lake Martin AL 343.10 ft 52 km
Thurlow Dam AL 60 km
Robert F Henry GA 124.79 ft 62 km
Logan Martin AL 465.00 ft 69 km

Frequently asked questions

What is the current water level of Mitchell?
As of Aug 31, 2026, 7:00 AM (UTC+00:00), the pool elevation was 311.65 ft (datum NGVD29). See the trend chart above for the recent direction.
Is Mitchell 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/Mitchell, 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.