Bankhead Lake

Bankhead Lock and Dam

Company type	Public utility
Industry	Hydroelectric power, Water management
Founded	1915
Headquarters	United States
Area served	Jefferson, Tuscaloosa, and Walker counties, Alabama
Key people	United States Army Corps of Engineers (management), Alabama Power Company (hydroelectric facility operator)
Products	Hydroelectric power, navigation lock and dam services, water reservoir

Bankhead Lake is a reservoir situated on the Black Warrior River in Alabama, delineating the boundaries between Jefferson, Tuscaloosa, and Walker counties. This body of water eventually feeds into Holt Lake.

The reservoir and the Bankhead Lock and Dam are overseen by the United States Army Corps of Engineers, whereas the neighboring hydroelectric facility is owned and operated by Alabama Power Company. Both installations bear the name of Senator John H. Bankhead. The reservoir holds an approximate capacity of , with typical storage levels near .

Constructed in 1915, the initial dam was the final component in a series of 17 locks and dams forming a navigation route from Mobile to Birmingham. In 1963, Alabama Power installed its hydropower plant on the dam’s right bank. By 1969, this dam remained the sole original structure still functioning but was deemed structurally deficient by the Corps of Engineers. The present lock, completed in 1975, measures 77 feet in height and extends 1,400 feet in length. Remnants of the original dam exist but are no longer accessible.

See also

• List of Alabama dams and reservoirs
• List of lakes
• List of dams and reservoirs in the United States