River.l. Harris Dam water level — Alabama

Alabama · USACE · reading Aug 31, 2026, 8:15 AM (UTC+00:00)

River.l. Harris Dam in Alabama was last measured at 793.00 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).

Current reading River.l. Harris Dam · Alabama
Pool elevation
793.00 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.

793.0ft793.0ftJun 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/Harris, 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 River.l. Harris Dam

River.l. Harris Dam is held back by R. L. Harris (also recorded as Harris;Lake Wedowee;R. L. Harris (Res)) , a concrete gravity structure, resisting the reservoir by its own weight alone , standing 163 ft high and running 2,142 ft along its crest , built across Tallapoosa River in Randolph County , near Wadley . It was completed in 1983 , and is owned by Alabama Power Company (a public utility owner) .

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;fish and wildlife pond;recreation.

It is founded on rock;soil, with a earth 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)6.

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 05/09/2023.

At its normal pool the reservoir covers about 10,661 acres. NID records a maximum storage of 426,000 acre-ft against a normal storage of 426,000 acre-ft. Its maximum discharge capacity is 310,000 cubic feet per second.

Dam facts: National Inventory of Dams record AL83001 , 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 River.l. Harris Dam compares nearby

2 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 River.l. Harris Dam, with current level and distance.
Lake State Level Distance
West Point Dam and Lake GA 632.38 ft 55 km
Lake Martin AL 343.10 ft 70 km
Hnhenry AL 508.00 ft 71 km
Logan Martin AL 465.00 ft 71 km
Thurlow Dam AL 84 km
Lay AL 395.56 ft 90 km

Frequently asked questions

What is the current water level of River.l. Harris Dam?
As of Aug 31, 2026, 8:15 AM (UTC+00:00), the pool elevation was 793.00 ft (datum NGVD29). See the trend chart above for the recent direction.
Is River.l. Harris 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/Harris, 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.