H. Neely Henry

H. Neely Henry Dam was the first dam built as a part of an Alabama Power Company construction program that further developed the Coosa River in the late 1950s and the 1960s. The project included the construction of Weiss, Logan Martin and Bouldin dams and the redevelopment of Lay Dam. The facility was named after H. Neely Henry, a senior executive vice-president of Alabama Power.

People driving across Neely Henry Dam on St. Clair County Road 26 can also see one of the most storied pieces of land in the state – Ten Island Park.

Today, the park provides a place for lake lovers and fishermen to relax, launch boats, picnic and enjoy the calm beauty of one of state’s less trafficked lakes. But before construction began on Neely Henry Dam, backing up the waters of the Coosa River, Ten Island’s natural river ford was a magnet for civilization, exploration and conflict.

Evidence of settlement at the site dates back to Paleo, Archaic, Woodland and Mississippian Indian groups, and there is historical speculation that Hernando de Soto used the site to cross the wild-flowing Coosa River in the early 1540s.

It was the Creek Indians who first named the site Oti Palin – or Ten Island – after a series of islands along several miles of the Coosa River. The Creek settled on Wood Island – the southernmost and largest in the chain – which was later incorporated into the construction of Neely Henry Dam.

Hours: 5 a.m. to 9 p.m.

No dogs allowed.

For more information about Ten Island Park, contact the park office at (205) 472-0481.

Virtual Tour

Ten Islands Preserve Trail

Hours: 5 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Dogs allowed on leashes