Alabama River (ARL)
Notice Number: 213577 / 26-36
Effective: 04/15/2026 16:00 thru 04/15/2026 16:00 CDT
Reference to Navigation Bulletin 26-23
In accordance with Section 7-11 of the ACT Master Water Control Manual dated April 2022, full navigation channel availability on the Alabama River is dependent upon channel maintenance, seasonal flow conditions, and basin status.
Flows for navigation are most needed in the unregulated portion of the lower Alabama River below Claiborne Lock and Dam. Alabama Power Company (APC) operates its reservoirs on the Coosa and Tallapoosa Rivers to provide a minimum navigation flow target in the Alabama River at Montgomery, Alabama. Basin status criteria are correlated to APC Drought Operations (ADROP) updates which monitors drought triggers related to basin inflow, state line flow on the Coosa River between Georgia and Alabama, as well as composite storage availability within the APC projects. These updates are provided monthly on the first and third Tuesday. Below is the most recent ADROP update provided by Alabama Power Company.
ADROP Update Low Basin Inflow: TRUE
Low State Line Flow: TRUE
Low Composite Storage: FALSE
Montgomery Flow Target: 3,700 cfs daily average
Current Operations: Drought Intensity Level 2
USACE Current Operations
Currently, based on profile survey conducted on 04-June-2024, a 10-ft tailwater elevation near Claiborne Lock is required to provide a 9-foot navigation channel on the lower Alabama River. A modified depth of 7.5-ft navigable draft can be provided with a tailwater elevation of 8.5-ft at the Claiborne Lock and Dam.
Tailwater elevations below Claiborne Lock and Dam can be viewed at: https://waterdata.usgs.gov/monitoring-location/USGS-02428401
Water Management provides multiple weekly Claiborne tailwater forecasts to stakeholders for navigation and other purposes. If desired to be added to the distribution list for the Alabama River forecasts, please contact water-sam@usace.army.mil.
Commercial mariners should check water levels daily and schedule lockage appointments by calling the Claiborne Lock Supervisor at (251) 282-4575.
//signed//
Green, Ryan A
