[1] From 1907 to 1940, the city of Mobile kept pace with providing water service for the population growth until the outbreak of World War II when it became increasingly apparent that the existing sources of supply were inadequate and undependable.

A new source was necessary not only because of a lack of sufficient quantity but because the water sheds of Clear and Three Mile Creeks were becoming more urbanized and the quality of the supply was endangered.

The Big Creek project was placed in service in 1952 at about $7,000,000 including land, dams, a pumphouse, a reservoir, and pipelines.

[3] Water is delivered from the 3,600-acre (15 km2) lake and pumping station by pipes to two reservoirs where it is diverted either to domestic or industrial use.

Big Creek Lake was a source of controversy regarding the equitable apportionment of limited fresh water resources between the states of Mississippi and Alabama in the early eighties.