Explosive Development: AL Dam Maintenance Divers Find Something Besides Gators in the Water

https://hotair.com/tree-hugging-sister/2026/05/14/explosive-development-a
l-dam-maintenance-divers-find-something-besides-gators-in-the-water-n3814
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The J. B. Converse Reservoir, situated 18 miles on the west side of
Mobile, Alabama, is one of those ubiquitous Southern water projects that
bloomed all over in the fifties. Soggy swampland that the area is, there
was a need for a contained and regulated water source for the rapidly
growing city on Mobile Bay. In 1952, an earthen dam, 5,000 feet long by
75 feet high, was built across Big Creek, the largest single tributary
within the watershed, which is itself a tributary of the Escatawpa River
(water, water everywhere). Hence, the reservoir that formed is also
known as  'Big Creek Lake.' 

The area is massive. The reservoir itself covers 3600 acres, holds 17
billion gallons of fresh water (69,000 acre feet), and has an enormous
surrounding watershed of 9000 acres (103 sq mi) that is also managed by
the Mobile Area Water and Sewer Services (MAWSS). 

J. B. Converse is the sole drinking water source for Mobile, Pritchard,
and Chickasaw, and supplies some to the nearby city of Spanish Fort,
which is on the Eastern Shore of Mobile Bay. As such, both the reservoir
and dam are 'federally designated critical infrastructure.' 

The pump station at the dam, with its suitably Creole-flavored name,
gets special attention. 

...An additional layer of protection for our drinking water was achieved
with a $1.1 million capital project that added retractable screens to
the Gaillard Pumping Station.  On a daily basis, these screens remove
floating vegetation from the Reservoir, preventing it from clogging the
pumping station, but they can also be used to stop contaminants like oil
from entering the water intake 

Interestingly enough, Alabama does not have a state-mandated dam safety
program, but the MAWSS has been, according to all reports, super
proactive in maintaining this vital city resource. This is particularly
important when one considers the age of the earthen structure and the
amount of just natural wear and tear here in the rainiest place in the
country, even without a hurricane year. 

...An initial inspection of the dam and appurtenant works, combined with
a review of historic documents, provided the basis for establishing
short, intermediate, and long term goals for modernizing the 50-year old
dam. Although Alabama remains as the only state without a dam safety
program, the dam owner (Mobile Area Water and Sewer System) has been
very proactive in maintaining the dam and implementing improvements to
bring the dam into compliance with anticipated dam safety criteria.
Reservoirs such as Big Creek Lake Dam are critical components of the
nation’s water supply system and this presentation is intended to
highlight some of the typical problems with aging dams along with the
requisite analyses and remedial improvements to ensure long-term
operation of these reservoirs. 

So that's what divers were out doing Tuesday - one of their regular
maintenance checks - when I'm sure someone damn near spit out a
regulator as they worked their way underwater along the base of the dam. 

Explosive device found, detonated at Alabama dam was ‘an unprecedented
threat’ 

A routine dive repair at a federally recognized Mobile dam led to an
unexpected discovery as divers found a hidden explosive device Tuesday,
according to the Mobile Area Water and Sewer System. 

After the grenade type-IED was located at the Converse Reservoir dam,
MAWSS contacted the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office which facilitated a
multi-agency response to retrieve and detonate the explosive. 

The Gulf Coast Regional Maritime Response and Render-Safe Team performed
a successful retrieval and detonation of the IED. 

“Our top priority is keeping your drinking water safe,” Bud McCrory,
MAWSS director, said. 

“This is an unprecedented threat, and we are fortunate that this device
was discovered before it could cause serious damage to our water supply
or harm to individuals. We are grateful for the professionalism and
competency of our law enforcement partners – as well as the quick
thinking of our contractors and divers – in identifying this device and
safely destroying it.” 


The verbiage that the various agencies involved in this cautious
retrieval and subsequent detonation are using has been really curious -
and believe me, everybody and their mother was out at the dam in a
heartbeat, to include 'the FBI Bomb Squad, ALEA Bomb Squad, Mobile
County Sheriff’s Office, Mobile Police Department Explosive Ordinance
[sic] Detail, and the Daphne Search and Rescue Team.' Homeland Security
was notified due to the dam's federal critical infrastructure
designation. 

Every quote has been quite specific as far as 'IED' versus simply a lone
grenade, which, I hate to say, could have easily been dropped in the
water in that remote area by...well...let's just say, local amateur
pyrotechnic enthusiasts. I mean, we all know at least one of those kinda
guys, and our redneck of the woods is teeming with them. 

But this is not the vibe at all, here.


Now, I'm sure it's intentional, but they also don't specify where this
was found. A 'grenade' wouldn't have much of an impact on an earthen dam
like that. In fact, that's the point of throwing up defensive berms - to
mitigate the effects of grenade and other explosive blasts. 

No. An accidental drop or a different objective, and the law enforcement
language surely seems to discount accidents. 

This makes me curious (and do not expect any answers, obviously) what
characteristics transformed it into an 'IED' in the experts' eyes as
opposed to something surplus your everyday redneck might ditch in the
water if the ATF was after him. 


And it does leave open whether this was found up against the pumping
station - that would be a horse of a different color. 

MAWSS has signaled it's going to step up security at the reservoir. I'd
imagine so. 

I would also imagine that, although there's not much press coverage of
this particular incident, the word is being passed to step up eyeballs
on dams all over the country, if that wasn't already being scrupulously
done. 

Strange and unsettling times, even in the weirdest places.

Beege ADDS: Yeah. This has gotten lots of eyebrows up.


...The dam itself is 5000ft long and 75' tall and has been routinely
repaired and rebuilt. MAWSS has been diligent about it, so as they go,
it's solid. 

It's just the law enforcement verbiage that's intriguing. Why 'IED' -
what specifically makes it NOT your everyday grenade to them - and of
course, I do not expect answers. 

Also, found 'underwater' but one news report said 'hidden.' Oh. That's a
big difference. Along the damn base. face, or near the pump station? 

Again. I don't expect answers, but if it's not dismissed a(s) surplus
goofballs (of which we have plenty here) it's quite weird. 


Never hurts to stay frosty.

Beege MORE: Got some local input in the comments from our wonderful
Mobile neighbors, and it really adds some dimension to the 'what ifs.'
As Mischief said, even though it's in close proximity to Mobile itself,
it is very much Deliverance territory out there as far as local
denizens. Salt of the swamp muck types. And, as another friend added: 

MAWSS recently created extreme hate and discontent when they shut off
the public access last year, after people had been fishing and boating
there ever since its original creation back in the early 1950s. It's
reasonable to wonder if this IED event is somehow tied to that. 

Ah, so. So I asked, because I had seen online where MAWSS had been
rumored to reopen the lake for fishing, and I was told, tes - that's
true. The agency did, BUT. 

You now have to rent the boats to use on the lake from them. Your
fishing boat - and some of these bass rigs are so expensive and these
guys' pride and joy - is not allowed on the lake. 

I can see the hate and discontent festering.

MAWSS claims that the restrictions are all about protecting water
quality. But there was (and is) lots of speculation that the real plan
by local politicians is to create extensive high-priced,
controlled-access residential property around the lake and prohibit
outsiders from entry. Now where would people get the idea that local
politicans would have any part of such an underhanded scheme? 

And the conspiracies. Holy smokes.


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