Inland Lake
Inland Lake is a 7 1/2 mile long, 1,536 acre artificial lake on the Blackburn Fork of the Little Warrior River, in southeastern Blount County. The lake was created by a dam near Highway 75 northeast of Remlap in 1930 by the Birmingham Water Works in order to provide industrial water supplies to that section of the Birmingham District. It, and 2,200 acres of the surrounding land, is still owned by the Water Works. The lake, which contains approximately 21 billion gallons, is now a valuable source of clean drinking water. Current maximum withdrawal is 47 million gallons per day. A second pipeline is planned to increase the supply.
Public fishing access to Inland Lake is available from two boat ramps, one near Allgood and one near the dam. The Blount County Sheriff's Department controls access and charges a $5 fee per launch. On June 17, 1967, a 40 pound channel catfish was caught by Donald R. Cox in Inland Lake, which is still a state record.
In 2006 developer Gadson Woodall III proposed a a 3,500-acre gated residential community to be named Gadson's Retreat on his property near the southern shore of Inland Lake, near Holly Springs.
In December 2007, after months of severe drought, the lake fell to 56% of its normal level, the lowest it had been since 1959. In February 2008, the Water Works began using other sources for drinking water. On April 28 the lake was back to 100% capacity, for the first time since May 2006.
References
- Bouma, Katherine (April 28, 2008) "Inland Lake full today for first time since 2006." Birmingham News.
- Faulk, Kent (May 29, 2006) "Inland Lake development opposed." Birmingham News
External links
| Black Warrior River | |
|---|---|
| Dams |
Bankhead Lock and Dam, Holt Lock and Dam, Oliver Lock and Dam, Lewis Smith Dam, Warrior Lock and Dam |
| Reservoirs |
Bankhead Lake, Holt Lake, Lake Tuscaloosa, Lake Oliver, Smith Lake, Inland Lake, Highland Lake, Warrior Lake |
| Tributaries |
Blackburn Fork, Locust Fork, Mulberry Fork, North River, Sipsey Fork, Valley Creek, Village Creek |