Woodruff Lake (Robert F. Henry) Water Level
Woodruff Lake (Robert F. Henry) is at 124.62 ft today (Oct 31), 1.38 ft below its 126 ft full pool, down 0.10 ft this week.
Alabama · Alabama River
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Water level history
About Woodruff Lake (Robert F. Henry)
Woodruff Lake (Robert F. Henry) is a reservoir on the Alabama River in Alabama, operated by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Its full summer pool sits at 126 ft above sea level. Live water levels come from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (CWMS) and update hourly.
Understanding Woodruff Lake (Robert F. Henry)'s water level
Robert F. Henry Lock and Dam backs up the Alabama River about 15 miles east of Selma and 35 miles west of Montgomery, and the pool behind it reaches roughly 80 miles upstream: 69 miles up the Alabama past Montgomery, about 11.5 miles up the Coosa to Wetumpka and the tailrace of Alabama Power's Walter Bouldin Dam, and about 10 miles up the Tallapoosa. It is the uppermost of the three Corps lakes on the Alabama River, with William "Bill" Dannelly Reservoir beginning just below the dam. The river channel was closed off in October 1970, filling began in November 1971, the pool reached 125 feet that December, and the lock officially opened on April 15, 1972. The powerhouse came later. Its contract was let in June 1972, and its four 20,500 kilowatt units, 82 megawatts in all, went into service during 1975. Congress named the lake for R. E. "Bob" Woodruff in 1976, and in 1982 renamed what had been Jones Bluff Lock and Dam for Robert F. Henry. The powerhouse kept the Jones Bluff name, and state fisheries biologists still call the lake Jones Bluff Reservoir.
There is no flood storage here. Flood control was dropped from the plan before construction, and the lake's 13,500 acres at full pool hold only about 36,450 acre-feet between the 123 foot minimum and the 126 foot top. The Corps' current manual treats 123 feet as the minimum that keeps the navigation channel open and 125 feet as the normal operating level; the 1999 version of the manual held the lake between 124 and 126. Within that band the level mostly reflects what Alabama Power releases from its dams upstream and how the Jones Bluff powerhouse runs. At high flows the plant generates around the clock. At low flows it peaks on a weekly schedule, and in dry periods the pool can be expected to sit lowest on Monday and highest on Friday, following the weekend release pattern upstream. The manual allows a drawdown to 123 feet, and if the pool ever fell to 122 feet releases would stop unless Mobile District water managers directed otherwise. Water is not normally managed for recreation, so ramps and docks get whatever level navigation and power produce.
In a big flood the lake simply becomes the river again. As inflow climbs, the Corps opens spillway gates to hold the pool in its normal band. Above about 112,000 cubic feet per second the tailwater is too high for the turbines to make power, and above about 125,000 the eleven tainter gates, each 50 feet wide and 35 feet high, reach capacity and the river flows over freely. From then on the pool rises with the flood. In March 1990 it peaked at 136.8 feet, nearly eleven feet above full pool, while the dam passed a record 220,000 cubic feet per second on March 20 and the tailwater reached 135.4 feet. The lock, 84 feet wide with just over 600 feet of usable length and a lift of up to 47 feet, closes to traffic when the headwater reaches 131 feet, at roughly 156,000 cubic feet per second, which the manual expects about once every three years. The gates stay wide open until the pool crests and falls back to 125 feet, and then normal regulation resumes.
Woodruff Lake (Robert F. Henry) — frequently asked
What is Woodruff Lake's full pool?
126 feet above sea level (NGVD29) is the top of the operating range, with 125 feet as the normal level and 123 feet as the minimum for navigation. At 126 feet the lake covers about 13,500 acres and holds roughly 247,000 acre-feet, but only about 36,450 acre-feet of that lies between 123 and 126, so the level can move only a few feet without affecting navigation.
Why is Woodruff Lake low?
Usually because the river is low and the Jones Bluff powerhouse is peaking rather than running continuously. In dry periods the pool tends to bottom out on Monday and recover by Friday, tracking weekend releases from Alabama Power's dams upstream. The Corps allows drawdown to 123 feet; below that the powerhouse operator alerts the lock so river traffic can be warned, and releases stop entirely at 122 feet unless water managers direct otherwise.
What is Woodruff Lake's record high level?
The Corps' water control manual gives a peak pool of 136.8 feet during the March 1990 flood, nearly eleven feet over full pool. The dam discharged a record 220,000 cubic feet per second on March 20, 1990, against a peak inflow of about 279,000, and tailwater below the dam hit 135.4 feet. The gauge chart on this page covers only recent years, so it will not show that flood.
Why does Woodruff Lake rise during floods if it is a run of river lake?
Because the dam has no flood storage and limited spillway capacity. Once inflow passes about 125,000 cubic feet per second, all eleven spillway gates are fully open and the pool rises with whatever the river brings. The lock shuts when the headwater reaches 131 feet, which the Corps expects about once every three years, and the gates stay open until the pool drops back to 125 feet.
How does generation affect fishing on Woodruff Lake?
A lot, according to Alabama's state fisheries staff, who call the lake Jones Bluff Reservoir. Alabama bass feed actively mainly when current is moving, so anglers work the main river during generation and shift to largemouth in the backwaters when flows drop. Constant flow keeps the lake from stratifying in summer. The Corps takes calls about the tentative generation schedule at 334-682-4896.
What fish are in Woodruff Lake?
State biologists list largemouth and Alabama bass, white and black crappie, hybrid striped bass, white bass, and channel, blue and flathead catfish. Bass are abundant but grow at an average rate on a large population of small shad. Fall 2005 trap netting found white crappie almost four times as abundant as black crappie, and the tailrace below the dam is reachable from the bank for hybrids, white bass and catfish.
What is Holy Ground Battlefield Park?
It is one of the Corps recreation areas on the lake, in White Hall in Lowndes County. It commemorates the December 23, 1813 battle at Econochaca, or Holy Ground, a Red Stick town on the bluffs above the Alabama River founded that summer by Josiah Francis. Troops under Brigadier General Ferdinand Claiborne attacked the town, which William Weatherford and others defended. The park has interpretive signs and trails to the bluff.
Other lakes near Woodruff Lake (Robert F. Henry)
- Bankhead LakeAL
- Wilson LakeAL
- Dannelly Reservoir (Millers Ferry)AL
- Wheeler LakeAL
- Demopolis LakeAL
- West Point LakeGA/AL
See current levels for all 21 Alabama lakes and reservoirs →
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