On This Day In Alabama History: Ground Broken For Coosa’s First Dam

By Alabama NewsCenter Staff

April 26, 1958

Sixty years ago today, Gov. Jim Folsom led a delegation of officials to Cherokee County to turn the first shovels of dirt on the project that became Weiss Dam.

In the years before, Congress removed the restrictions on building dams along the upper Coosa, and Weiss became the first of seven such projects along the run of the river. Covering more than 30,000 acres, Weiss Lake has nearly 450 miles of shoreline. Construction started in July 1958, and ended nearly three years later when power generation began in June 1961.Now known as the “Crappie Capital of the World,” Weiss Lake is a favorite spot for sport fishermen, and is home to several species of bass, sunfish, catfish and bluegill.

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