One of the largest earth- and rock-filled dams in the Eastern United States, the Lewis Smith Dam was constructed at the Sipsey Fork tributary. It was named in honor of Lewis Martin Smith, who was president of Alabama Power from 1952 to 1957. Smith Dam was the first of three Alabama Power Company projects on the Black Warrior river. In 1965, FERC authorized Alabama Power to build a powerhouse at Holt Lock and Dam. Both Bankhead Lock and Dam and Holt Lock and Dam are owned by the Corps of Engineers, U.S. Army.
The story of Smith Dam and Smith Lake began as a story of energy. It continues today as a story of flood control, recreation and economic opportunity, irrigation and drinking water, and fish and wildlife habitats. Power was just the beginning.
Smith Reservoir Facts:
Elevation above sea level: 510 feet
Area: 21,200 acres
Shoreline: 642 miles
Length: 35 miles
Maximum depth at dam: 264 feet
Area of watershed draining into reservoir: 944 square miles