Neely Henry Lake Water Level
Neely Henry Lake is at 507.18 ft today (Oct 31), 0.82 ft below its 508 ft full pool, down 0.21 ft this week.
Alabama · Coosa River
Full pool is the summer level. Neely Henry Lake is drawn down about 1 ft to roughly 507 ft over winter for flood storage, so a lower reading outside the summer season is usually scheduled rather than drought.
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Water level history
About Neely Henry Lake
Neely Henry Lake is a reservoir on the Coosa River in Alabama, operated by Alabama Power. Its full summer pool sits at 508 ft above sea level. Live water levels come from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (CWMS) and update hourly.
Understanding Neely Henry Lake's water level
Neely Henry is a long, narrow run of the Coosa River that stretches 77.6 miles from H. Neely Henry Dam upstream to the tailwater of Weiss Dam, passing Gadsden, Rainbow City and Southside on the way. It covers about 11,200 acres with 339 miles of shoreline, and it is only 53 feet deep at the dam. Alabama Power put the dam in service on June 2, 1966, the first project in a building program in the late 1950s and 1960s that also produced Weiss, Logan Martin and Bouldin and rebuilt Lay Dam. It is named for H. Neely Henry, a senior executive vice president of the company. Three generators of 24,300 kilowatts each sit behind a 605 foot concrete section, with 4,100 feet of earth dikes. The Corps of Engineers lists the project as hydropower, flood risk management and navigation, and notes it was designed to take a navigation lock that was never added.
The level barely moves by design. Summer pool is 508 feet and winter pool is 507, a one foot difference. Alabama Power starts lowering Neely Henry along with Weiss and Logan Martin on October 1, finishes by November 30, and has the lake back up by May. It was not always this way. Until 2000 the rule called for a three foot winter drawdown, from 508 to 505 by early November, held there until mid April. In 2000 Alabama Power asked federal regulators to try a higher winter level of 507 on a trial basis, and the Corps' basin manual records that the February 2001 deviation became permanent when the project's FERC license was renewed on June 20, 2013. The Corps lists no dedicated flood storage above the 508 foot pool, and about 6,600 square miles of north Georgia and northeast Alabama drain through the lake, so big rains show up as high water rather than being absorbed.
The bigger level swings at Neely Henry come from floods and from planned shoreline drawdowns. In some falls Alabama Power drops the lake to around 503 or 504 feet for roughly two weeks so residents and contractors can reach the lakebed for permitted dock and seawall work; in 2014 it lowered the lake to 504 over October 3 to 6 and had it back to 508 by October 20. On the flood side, the USGS gage at the Gadsden Steam Plant recorded its highest annual peak since 1994 on March 4, 2019, at 26.47 feet gage height. State fisheries biologists call the spotted bass population exceptional, with the 14 to 20 inch class among the best in Alabama, and rank Neely Henry third statewide for the share of anglers who catch fish on a trip. Striped bass over seven pounds run up to the Weiss Dam tailwater in spring.
Neely Henry Lake — frequently asked
What is the full pool of Neely Henry Lake?
Summer pool is 508 feet above sea level, which is the figure this page treats as full. Alabama Power holds the lake there from spring through September. The Corps of Engineers lists about 120,850 acre-feet of storage at that level, with no separate flood control pool above it, so readings a few tenths over 508 usually mean high inflow is passing through.
How much is Neely Henry drawn down in winter?
Only one foot, from 508 to 507. The drawdown begins October 1 and is complete by November 30, and the lake returns to 508 by May if there is enough rain. Older guides that describe a deeper drop are out of date: before 2001 the winter pool was 505, three feet below summer. The higher winter level became permanent with the 2013 FERC license.
Why is Neely Henry lower than normal right now?
The usual reasons are the scheduled fall lowering to 507, a dry spell (Alabama Power notes the lake keeps falling without rainfall because it must still pass required flows downstream), or a planned shoreline drawdown. In some years the company drops the lake to about 503 or 504 feet for around two weeks in October or November so property owners can do permitted construction on the exposed lakebed.
What is the record high and record low at Neely Henry?
The gauge panel on this page covers only about 2020 onward. In that window the high is 508.08 feet and the low is 502.37 feet, both in 2021. For a longer flood history, the USGS gage at the Gadsden Steam Plant recorded its highest annual peak since 1994 on March 4, 2019, at a gage height of 26.47 feet.
When is the Neely Henry shoreline drawdown?
It is not held every year, and dates are announced in advance by Alabama Power. In 2014 the lake was lowered to 504 from October 3 to 6, refill began October 17, and it was back to normal by October 20. The schedule published for fall 2023 called for lowering to 503 to 504 over October 23 to 25 and refilling by November 8. Work on the lakebed needs a lakeshore use permit.
Is Neely Henry good for bass fishing?
State biologists say most largemouth run 12 to 15 inches with good numbers from 15 to 18, and that the spotted bass in the 14 to 20 inch range are among the best in Alabama. Both species are unusually plump. The lake has hosted the Bassmaster Elite Series out of Gadsden; Wes Logan won the 2021 event with 57 pounds, 9 ounces over four days after heavy rain muddied the lake.
Who operates Neely Henry Dam?
Alabama Power owns and operates the dam under a FERC license, and the Corps of Engineers' Mobile District sets the flood operating rules it must follow. The powerhouse has three 24,300 kilowatt units. Below the dam, releases can raise the river quickly when generators or spillway gates open, and Alabama Power posts a tentative daily generation schedule on its shorelines site.
Other lakes near Neely Henry Lake
- Pickwick LakeAL/TN/MS
- Lake MitchellAL
- Walter F. George Reservoir (Lake Eufaula)GA/AL
- Lake MartinAL
- Lake Wedowee (R.L. Harris)AL
- Logan Martin LakeAL
See current levels for all 21 Alabama lakes and reservoirs →
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