Martin Dam facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Martin Dam |
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 Location of Martin Dam in Alabama
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| Country | United States |
| Location | Elmore / Tallapoosa counties, near Dadeville, Alabama |
| Coordinates | 32°40′49″N 85°54′39″W / 32.68028°N 85.91083°W |
| Construction began | 1923 |
| Opening date | 1926 |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | Concrete arch-gravity |
| Impounds | Tallapoosa River |
| Height | 168 ft (51 m) |
| Length | 2,000 ft (610 m) |
| Dam volume | 431,000 cu yd (330,000 m3) |
| Spillways | 20x gated overflow |
| Spillway capacity | 134,000 cu ft/s (3,800 m3/s) |
| Reservoir | |
| Creates | Lake Martin |
| Total capacity | 1,622,000 acre⋅ft (2.001×109 m3) |
| Catchment area | 2,984 sq mi (7,730 km2) |
| Surface area | 39,180 acres (15,860 ha) |
| Normal elevation | 490 ft (150 m) (max) |
| Power station | |
| Hydraulic head | 145 ft (44 m) |
| Turbines | 4x Francis |
| Installed capacity | 182.5 MW |
| Annual generation | 327 million KWh |
Martin Dam is a large structure built across the Tallapoosa River in Alabama, United States. It's about 10 miles (16 km) southwest of Dadeville. This dam creates the huge Lake Martin, which covers about 40,000 acres (16,000 ha).
The dam was built in the 1920s. Its main jobs are to control floods, make electricity, and supply water. It was first called the Cherokee Bluffs dam. Later, it was named after Thomas Wesley Martin. He was the president of the Alabama Power Company when the dam was being built.
Building the Martin Dam
Work on Martin Dam started in 1916. This was when the Alabama Power Company began buying land. This land would later be covered by the new lake.
The actual building of the dam began in 1923. It was finished just three years later, in 1926. Lake Martin filled up for the first time on April 23, 1928. This happened after a lot of rain caused flooding upstream.
Even though it was finished, the dam was not officially opened until 1936. When it was completed, Lake Martin was the biggest man-made lake in the world! Building the lake meant that two towns, Sousanna and Benson, were covered by water. Many old Native American sites were also submerged.
Dam Size and Lake Features
Martin Dam is very big. It stands 168 feet (51 meters) tall. It stretches 2,000 feet (610 meters) long. The dam sits right on the border between Tallapoosa and Elmore Counties. The part of the dam that makes electricity is on the Elmore (west) side.
The dam has a special part called a spillway. This spillway helps control the water flow. It has 20 gates, each 30 feet (9.1 meters) by 16 feet (4.9 meters). These gates can release a lot of water very quickly.
When Lake Martin is full, it holds 1,622,000 acre-feet (2.001 cubic kilometers) of water. The lake reaches over 30 miles (48 km) up the Tallapoosa River. Each winter, the lake's water level is lowered by about 10 feet (3.0 meters). This helps the dam manage floods better.
Making Electricity
Martin Dam has a power plant that makes electricity. When it was first built in 1927, it had three large machines called Francis turbines. These machines helped turn the force of the water into power.
In 1952, a fourth machine was added. This made the power plant even stronger. Now, the dam can produce a total of 182.5 megawatts (MW) of electricity. This power plant creates over 327 million KWh of electricity every year. That's enough power for many homes and businesses!
