Lake Jordan Water Level
Lake Jordan is at 251.28 ft today (Oct 31), 0.72 ft below its 252 ft full pool, up 0.06 ft this week.
Alabama · Coosa River
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Water level history
About Lake Jordan
Lake Jordan is a reservoir on the Coosa River in Alabama, operated by Alabama Power. Its full summer pool sits at 252 ft above sea level. Live water levels come from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (CWMS) and update hourly.
Understanding Lake Jordan's water level
Lake Jordan is the last reservoir on the Coosa before the river runs out at Wetumpka, and it drowned the wildest water on the whole river. The stretch beginning about 14 miles above Wetumpka was known as the Devil's Staircase, a run of falls and standing waves that Alabama Power says could be heard a mile away. Jordan Dam went into service on 31 December 1928: a concrete gravity dam 2,066 feet long and 125 feet high, with four 25,000 kilowatt generators. Behind it the lake stretches 18.4 miles and reaches 110 feet deep at the dam, with 10,165 square miles of watershed draining into it. Below the dam the Coosa runs only a few more miles before it meets the Tallapoosa just past Wetumpka and becomes the Alabama River.
The level here barely moves, and that is by design. Jordan is a run-of-river project, meaning Alabama Power passes roughly what comes in from Mitchell Dam and the tributaries upstream, so the lake holds close to its 252 foot normal elevation all year. There is no winter drawdown; the seasonal drawdowns people hear about on the Coosa belong to storage lakes upstream such as Logan Martin. What does change is the flow out of the dam. Under the license, Jordan releases a continuous 2,000 cubic feet per second from July through March. Starting 1 April the floor rises to 4,000 cfs for 18 hours a day plus a daily six hour pulse, then steps back down to 2,000 through June. In drought those spring flows have been cut: in 2007 the spring releases were suspended until mid June, and for 2009 Alabama Power asked FERC to hold a flat 2,000 cfs all year.
The lake has a second outlet. Walter Bouldin Dam, built in 1967 at the end of a canal leading off Jordan, is Alabama Power's largest hydro plant, which is why the lake can drain through two powerhouses. Its earth embankment showed heavy foundation seepage on first filling, and in the early hours of 10 February 1975 it breached. A guard saw muddy water around 1 a.m. and the dam failed shortly after; nobody was killed, and the intake canal from Jordan limited how much water got out. Consultants blamed an upstream slide, while Ralph Peck and Thomas Leps pointed to piping in the foundation soil. Bouldin was rebuilt and is part of the Coosa River license today. Anglers know the canal for the strong bass bite that turns on when its gates are open, and state biologists rank growth of both largemouth and spotted bass in Jordan among the fastest in Alabama.
Lake Jordan — frequently asked
What is Lake Jordan's full pool elevation?
252 feet above sea level. Because Jordan is run-of-river, that is also the level it holds through the year rather than a summer target, and there is no winter pool. Alabama Power's lake page reported 251.26 feet on a dry October day in 2026, with one generator running and nothing going over the spillway. Readings a few tenths below 252 are normal when inflow from Mitchell Dam is low.
Does Lake Jordan have a winter drawdown?
No. Alabama Power describes Jordan as a run-of-river lake that was not designed for flood control and does not follow a seasonal drawdown. The big winter drops on the Coosa happen at storage reservoirs upstream such as Logan Martin and Weiss. Dock owners on Jordan deal with a lake that stays near 252 feet, not one that falls several feet every fall.
How much water does Jordan Dam release?
The license sets a continuous minimum of 2,000 cubic feet per second from 1 July through 31 March. From 1 April the minimum rises to 4,000 cfs for 18 hours a day with a six hour daily pulse, then ramps down in daily steps through June until it is back to 2,000. Those higher spring flows were suspended until mid June in the dry spring of 2007, and for all of 2009 Alabama Power asked FERC to let it hold a flat 2,000 cfs.
Can you go whitewater paddling below Jordan Dam?
Yes. The Coosa below Jordan Dam is a Class II run of about 7.6 miles from the base of the dam off Rapids Road down to Wetumpka. The biggest rapid is Moccasin Gap, a Class III drop about 3.5 miles down and home of the annual Coosa Rodeo. Paddlers rate 4,000 cfs as low and beginner friendly and 8,000 cfs as ideal. Alabama Power posts the weekend release schedule each Thursday.
What happened at Bouldin Dam in 1975?
Walter Bouldin Dam, the earth embankment and powerhouse at the end of a canal off Lake Jordan, breached overnight on 10 February 1975. A guard noticed muddy water around 1 a.m. and the dam failed soon after. No one died, and the intake canal from Jordan restricted the outflow. The cause was disputed: Alabama Power's consultants cited an upstream slide, while Ralph Peck and Thomas Leps argued for piping of the foundation soil. The dam was later rebuilt.
What is the fishing like on Lake Jordan?
State sampling found growth of largemouth and spotted bass among the fastest in Alabama, with stable numbers and low harvest; anglers kept only 7 percent of bass caught in the 2009 creel survey but 70 percent of crappie. A strong 2005 crappie year class made up 49 percent of that year's sample. The state stocks hybrid striped bass at six fish per acre each year. Public launches include Bonner's Point on the west side and Rotary Landing on the east.
Is Lake Jordan in Alabama the same as Jordan Lake in North Carolina?
No. Lake Jordan in Alabama is an Alabama Power hydro lake on the Coosa River in Elmore, Chilton and Coosa counties, built in 1928 just north of Wetumpka. Jordan Lake in North Carolina is a separate reservoir in another river basin. The Alabama lake is licensed through FERC as part of Alabama Power's Coosa River hydro project, which has been in relicensing since a 2005 application.
Other lakes near Lake Jordan
- Lay LakeAL
- Holt LakeAL
- Lewis Smith LakeAL
- Lake Harding (Bartletts Ferry)GA/AL
- Logan Martin LakeAL
- Lake GuntersvilleAL
See current levels for all 21 Alabama lakes and reservoirs →
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