Dams affect flow, sediment passage, oxygen, temperature, and habitat. They have severely altered the state of Alabama’s Black Warrior River. A series of fourteen locks and dams were built on the river in the late 1800s. In the 1930s, work began to replace those dams with a more modern series of four locks and dams. The river is heavily used by barges for the transport of commercial commodities such as coal, coke, steel, wood, and chemicals. These dams have created a number of lake-like reservoirs stealing the river’s free-flowing beauty.
Let Rivers Flow shares news and information on dam removals around the world: www.letriversflow.com
American Rivers has an extensive webpage about dams and hydropower: www.americanrivers.org/initiatives/dams/
Map of existing Black Warrior River locks and dams: blackwarriorriver.org/map-locks-and-dams-of-black-warrior-watershed/
Black Warrior River Lock Phone #s (For navigation or water-level questions)
Bankhead Lock (205) 339-1921
Holt Lock (205) 553-1711
Oliver Lock (205) 758-4860
Selden Lock (205) 372-9868
Bankhead Lock and Dam. Photo by Nelson Brooke. Flight by SouthWings.org
Holt Lock and Dam. Photo by Nelson Brooke. Flight by SouthWings.org
Oliver Lock and Dam. Photo by Nelson Brooke. Flight by SouthWings.org
Selden Dam. Photo by Nelson Brooke. Flight by SouthWings.org
