Sept. 5, 1961

Alabama Power Company created Lewis Smith Dam and Lake to produce hydropower on the Sipsey Fork of the Black Warrior River. The project was formally dedicated in May 1961. Then later that year, it was put into service Sept. 5.

It was named for Alabama Power president Lewis M. Smith, who had been closely involved with its planning and design.

Lewis Smith Lake covers portions of Cullman, Walker and Winston counties in the north-central portion of the state. The lake is 35 miles long with 500 miles of shoreline and is known for good sport fishing, hosting several major professional bass fishing tournaments each year.

It features public-use areas and provides habitat for wildlife and species such as the bald eagle.

Read more at Encyclopedia of Alabama.  

Painting of Lewis Martin Smith. (Alabama Power Archives)

A turbine from the hydroelectric plant at the Lewis Smith Dam, constructed in the late 1950s by Alabama Power Company. (From Encyclopedia of Alabama, courtesy of Alabama Power Company)

The Lewis Smith Dam powerhouse, which generates hydroelectric power, was built by Alabama Power Company during the late 1950s. (From Encyclopedia of Alabama, courtesy of Alabama Power Company)

A man from Jasper, Walker County, fishing on Smith Lake near Bug Tussle, Cullman County, in August 2006. (From Encyclopedia of Alabama, courtesy of The Birmingham News)

Lewis Smith Lake. Alabama Power lakes are open for recreation. (Quintaped, Wikipedia)

For more on Alabama’s Bicentennial, visit Alabama 200.