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

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.”

MAWSS: Routine dam dive turns up grenade-style IED lurking under reservoir https://t.co/s9BZvZsDuQ pic.twitter.com/CT0xHrxiaO

— NBC 15 News (@mynbc15) May 13, 2026

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 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.

Not sure a grenade type IED would damage much (need details) but in 2025, the dam was classified as high-hazard potential and in April 2026 a settlement with the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) was reached to manage access and protect the water. pic.twitter.com/QotoF7xcw4

— T🇺🇸B (@Shine_on_2012) May 14, 2026

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.

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