The dam's reservoir has 1,027 miles (1,653 km) of shoreline and 67,070 acres (27,140 ha) of water surface, and has a flood-storage capacity of 326,484 acre-feet (402,712,000 m3).

Canal work in the 19th century had improved navigation through the shoals, but were insufficient for major river traffic.

In 1898, Congressman Joe Wheeler introduced legislation in Congress that obtained federal funding for navigation improvements.

The construction of Wilson Dam in the 1920s and various other improvements helped create a 6-foot (1.8 m) channel over the shoals, but even then navigation was only possible during times of high water flow.

Work began as soon as possible as an unemployment relief measure, and at peak activity the project employed 4,700 workers.

Dredge work continued until the following year to extend the navigation channel to Guntersville Dam, which at the time was under construction.