Lake Martin

Lake Martin
Acapulco Rock and Chimney Rock at the lake
Lake Martin is located in Alabama
Lake Martin
Lake Martin
LocationCoosa / Elmore / Tallapoosa counties, Alabama,
United States
Coordinates32°45′59.37″N 85°54′3.85″W / 32.7664917°N 85.9010694°W / 32.7664917; -85.9010694
TypeReservoir
Primary inflowsTallapoosa River
Primary outflowsTallapoosa River
Basin countriesUnited States
Max. length31 mi (50 km)
Surface area44,000 acres (18,000 ha)
Average depth41 ft (12 m)
Max. depth155 ft (47 m)
Shore length1743 mi (1,196 km)
SettlementsAlexander City, Jackson's Gap, Dadeville
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.
Martin Dam
Founded1923
Official nameMartin Dam
DesignatedJanuary 5, 1976[1]

Lake Martin is located in Tallapoosa, Elmore and Coosa counties in Alabama. It is a 44,000-acre (178 km2) reservoir with over 750 miles (1,200 km) of wooded shoreline. Lake Martin is a reservoir, enlarged by the construction of Martin Dam on the Tallapoosa River. The Martin Dam powerhouse is used to generate hydroelectric power for the Alabama Power Company. Construction on Martin Dam began in 1923 and was completed in 1926, creating what was, at that time, the largest human-made body of water in the world. Originally known as Cherokee Bluffs for the geological formation upon which it was built, the dam was renamed in 1936 in honor of Thomas Martin, the then-president of Alabama Power Company.[2] Alabama Power and Russell Lands own some of the shoreline.

  1. ^ "Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage as of April 7, 2023" (PDF). ahc.alabama.gov. Retrieved 17 March 2024.
  2. ^ "Lake Martin" Archived 2012-03-19 at the Wayback Machine, Alabama Power Company