Lake Tuscaloosa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lake Tuscaloosa |
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Looking northward from atop the dam and spillway, along Tuscaloosa County Road 87.
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| Location | Tuscaloosa County, Alabama, United States |
| Coordinates | 33°20′35″N 87°33′20″W / 33.34306°N 87.55556°W |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Surface area | 5,885 acres (23.82 km2) |
| Water volume | 40,000,000,000 U.S. gallons (150,000,000 m3) |
| Shore length1 | 177 mi (285 km) |
| Surface elevation | 223.2 ft (68.0 m) |
| 1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. | |
Lake Tuscaloosa is a reservoir in west-central Alabama. It was created by damming North River. It was built to provide water for people living in Tuscaloosa, Alabama and also for industrial use. It was completed in 1970. It cost about $7,725,000. The lake is very popular for recreational activities.
History
Lake Tuscaloosa was built because because more people were living in Tuscaloosa. The reservoirs already there, Harris Lake and Lake Nicol, didn't provide enough water. A dam was built on North River. When that dam filled, the water behind it became Lake Tuscaloosa. Lake Tuscaloosa provides more water than either of the other two reservoirs. Lake Tuscaloosa's water is treated to make it safe for people to drink. It also provides untreated water for industrial use.
