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Alabama · Tennessee Valley · #688
Morgan County, Alabama
On Wheeler Lake in the Tennessee Valley, Morgan County's Decatur is the Tennessee Valley Authority's industrial corridor made visible - a city whose chemical plants, manufacturing operations, and river navigation infrastructure represent TVA's promise of industrial development for the rural South, fulfilled across eight decades.
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Alert System: AL Alert statewide; CodeRed; Morgan County Emergency Alert
Shelter Info: Multiple shelter locations; contact EMA for current information; Tennessee River flood planning important
FEMA Region: Region 4
Notes: North Alabama county; Decatur is a major industrial city on the Tennessee River (Wheeler Lake); tornado corridor; Tennessee River flooding risk; Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Wheeler Dam within county; significant chemical and industrial manufacturing creates HAZMAT emergency planning needs; close coordination with TVA
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
County Road Dept: Morgan County Highway Department – (256) 351-4745
Public Transit: Decatur Transit (DTA) – (256) 353-8720; fixed-route bus service in Decatur metro; demand-response county transit
Road Conditions: ALDOT – algotraffic.com
Notes: I-65 runs through county; US-31, US-72 are main corridors; Tennessee River bridges (Memorial Bridge, Decatur-to-Moulton) critical; major industrial freight traffic from chemical plants; Wheeler Lake access routes
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Morgan County Building Department – (256) 351-4726
Address: 302 Lee St NE, Decatur, AL 35601
Services: Building permits, inspections for unincorporated areas
Notes: City of Decatur (extensive industrial and residential permitting – separate); Hartselle, Priceville, Falkville, Trinity, Lacey’s Spring have separate permits; industrial chemical plant construction and expansion generates major specialized permit activity
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Morgan County Veterans Service Office – (256) 351-4740
Address: 302 Lee St NE, Decatur, AL 35601
VA Medical: Huntsville VA Clinic – (256) 535-3100; Birmingham VA – (205) 933-8101
Services: Benefits claims, VA healthcare enrollment, pension/compensation
Notes: Huntsville VA clinic provides relatively close access; active veteran community; Decatur area has significant manufacturing workforce with military veteran background
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Decatur Public Library / Morgan County Library System
Main: 504 Cherry St NE, Decatur, AL 35601 | (256) 353-2993
Website: decatur.lib.al.us
Branches: Hartselle, Eva, Falkville, Priceville
Services: Books, e-books (Alabama Digital Library), public computers, Wi-Fi, genealogy collection, meeting rooms, children’s programs
Notes: Well-developed system serving industrial city and surrounding communities; genealogy collection reflects deep Tennessee Valley history
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Point Mallard Park (Decatur – nationally recognized aquatic/recreation park; water park, ice skating rink, disc golf, campground) – (256) 341-4900; Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge (major bird migration and whooping crane wintering area); Wheeler Lake (Tennessee River) fishing and boating; TVA Wheeler Dam recreation area; Cook’s Natural Science Museum (natural history)
Notes: Point Mallard is a flagship municipal park with one of the South’s oldest wave pools; Wheeler NWR hosts major annual Birding Safari event – one of Alabama’s premier wildlife events with 250+ bird species; whooping cranes overwinter at Wheeler NWR; Tennessee River provides extensive water recreation
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Morgan County GIS – morgancountyal.gov/gis
Parcel Search: Available through county GIS portal
Notes: Mid-sized urban industrial county with functional GIS; industrial plant mapping and zoning important
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Shelter: Morgan County Humane Society / Animal Control – (256) 351-4726
Notes: Decatur area humane organizations active; Morgan County animal services serve unincorporated areas; Decatur city has separate animal control
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Solid Waste: Morgan County Solid Waste – (256) 351-4745; City of Decatur Sanitation – (256) 341-4900
Recycling: Decatur city recycling program; county drop-off options
Environmental: Tennessee River/Wheeler Lake water quality (TVA); major chemical industry environmental compliance (3M, Chemours, and other chemical manufacturers in Decatur area); PFAS (PFOA/PFOS) contamination is a significant documented issue in the Decatur/Morgan County area; ADEM – adem.alabama.gov; EPA Region 4 involvement due to major industrial facilities
Notes: Morgan County has one of Alabama’s most significant industrial environmental profiles; 3M’s PFAS manufacturing legacy in Decatur created documented water contamination affecting Tennessee River; ongoing EPA/ADEM monitoring and remediation efforts; Wheeler Lake and its fisheries have been subject to fish consumption advisories; this is one of the highest-priority environmental situations in Alabama
About Morgan County
Morgan County’s Decatur sits on Wheeler Lake – the TVA reservoir created by Wheeler Dam in 1936, the second major dam built in the Tennessee Valley Authority’s transformative infrastructure program. The cheap, reliable electricity TVA provided enabled the chemical industry cluster that defined Decatur’s twentieth-century economy: 3M, Solutia (formerly Monsanto’s chemical operations), Nucor Steel, and numerous other manufacturers built operations along the Tennessee River corridor, attracted by power, water access, and barge transportation. This industrial base has provided working-class employment that TVA’s founders explicitly promised to the Tennessee Valley’s rural communities.
Calhoun Community College serves workforce development. The Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge on Wheeler Lake provides world-class sandhill crane and waterfowl wintering habitat that attracts birders from across the Southeast. Decatur’s historic downtown, river access, and regional retail position give it the character of a genuine mid-sized Tennessee Valley city.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Alabama assesses residential property at 10% of appraised value. Property owners may appeal to the County Board of Equalization. Alabama offers a $4,000 homestead exemption off assessed value. Alabama has no estate or inheritance tax.
Public Records
District Medical Officer: Dr. Wes Stubblefield — (256) 340-2113
Fax: (256) 353-4432
Mon–Fri 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
WIC, environmental, home care, clinical (STD, family planning, vaccines, breast/cervical cancer screening)
DHR: Community Corrections — Kim Thurston, Director, 302 Lee Street NE; (256) 351-4739
Courts & Legal
Courts & Legal
Morgan County Probate Court: 302 Lee Street NE, Decatur, AL 35601 | (256) 351-4770. The Probate Court handles estate administration, guardianship, wills, and deeds.
Senior Services
North Central Alabama Regional COG – Area Agency on Aging
P.O. Box 2603, Decatur, AL 35602
Phone: (256) 355-4515
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
PROBATE JUDGE (Deeds, Marriage Licenses, Estates)
302 Lee St. NE, Decatur, AL 35601
(256) 351-4700
CIRCUIT CLERK (Court Records)
302 Lee St. NE, Decatur, AL 35601
(256) 351-4760
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Morgan County Probate Court (marriage licenses, will and estate files, land deeds – see Probate section above)
Local societies
Morgan County Genealogical Society, 624 Bank Street NE, Decatur, AL 35601-1608 – publishes the quarterly “Morgan Memories”
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
Morgan County Probate Office 302 Lee Street NE, Decatur, AL 35601 Mailing address: P.O. Box 668, Decatur, AL 35602 (256) 351-4770 Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. (call ahead to confirm, especially around lunch)
Step 1: figure out which path applies
This is the fork in the road that determines everything else – how long it takes, what it costs, and whether you need an attorney.
Small/Summary Distribution – for estates made up of personal property only (no real estate) worth up to roughly $47,000 (the threshold is CPI-adjusted annually; it rose from about $36,000 to ~$47,000 under the Revised Alabama Small Estates Act, effective October 1, 2025). No personal representative is appointed, and there’s no months-long court oversight – just a single verified petition.
Formal Probate – required if the estate includes real property, exceeds the small-estate threshold, or there’s a dispute among heirs. This appoints a personal representative (an executor if there’s a will, an administrator if there isn’t) with legal authority to act for the estate.
If the estate qualifies for summary distribution
Wait at least 30 days after the death before filing – filings submitted earlier will be rejected.
The surviving spouse (if there is one) is the only person who can file; if there’s no surviving spouse, any rightful heir can.
File a verified petition with the Morgan County Probate Court listing the decedent’s assets, debts, and heirs, plus the will if one exists.
Notice must be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the county; no distribution can happen until 30 days after publication.
The petitioner must separately notify the Alabama Medicaid Agency by certified mail (Medicaid has 30 days to respond with any claim against the estate – this step is required in every case, not just where Medicaid was involved).
Once both 30-day windows close and the judge approves, the court issues an order you can present to banks or other institutions to claim and distribute the property.
Simple, uncontested cases can wrap up in weeks to a few months. Anything with disputed debts or unclear heirs takes longer.
If formal probate is required
Gather what you’ll need before your first visit: the original will (if any), several certified copies of the death certificate, a list of assets and debts, and names/addresses of all heirs and beneficiaries.
File a Petition for Letters Testamentary (with a will) or Petition for Letters of Administration (without one). Filing fee is a flat $45, plus $3/page for wills over 5 pages, and covers three certified copies of the letters.
Creditor notice must be published once a week for three successive weeks in a Morgan County newspaper of general circulation.
If uncontested with waivers filed, a hearing may not be required; otherwise the judge holds one and, if approved, issues the Letters.
The personal representative then has 2 months to file a full inventory of estate assets, and creditors have 6 months from the grant of letters (or 5 months from first publication, whichever is later) to submit claims.
After debts and taxes are settled, the representative files a final accounting; once approved, assets are distributed and the estate is formally closed.
Alabama requires an estate to stay open a minimum of 6 months, whether or not there’s a will.
A will must be filed for probate within 5 years of the date of death, or it loses effect.
What it costs
Court filing: $45 flat (plus the per-page will fee noted above).
Personal representative compensation: capped by law at 2.5% of the estate’s value received plus 2.5% of disbursements (extra allowed for genuinely extraordinary work).
Attorney fees: not fixed by statute – negotiated between the family and the attorney. Alabama doesn’t require an attorney for probate, but most formal (non-small-estate) cases benefit from one, especially if there’s a dispute or the estate includes real property.
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
PROBATE JUDGE (Deeds, Marriage Licenses, Estates)
302 Lee St. NE, Decatur, AL 35601
(256) 351-4700
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
119 Lee St. NE, Decatur, AL 35601
(256) 351-4800
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
BOARD OF REGISTRARS (Voter Registration)
302 Lee St. NE, Decatur, AL 35601
(256) 351-4774
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES
1401 Baker Hill Rd. SE, Decatur, AL 35601
(256) 308-3200
Hours: Mon–Fri 8 AM–4:30 PM
Health Dept
Morgan County Health Dept
DHR / SNAP / Medicaid
dhr.alabama.gov 211
WIC
Up to 185% FPL — call Health Dept
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Morgan County Health Department – (256) 353-1170
Address: 1501 Central Pkwy SW, Decatur, AL 35601
Website: alabamapublichealth.gov/morgan
Services: Immunizations, WIC, family planning, STI testing, environmental health, vital records, restaurant inspections
Notes: Decatur Morgan Hospital provides hospital services; Huntsville Hospital system also serves county; industrial workforce creates occupational health considerations; chemical plant area environmental health monitoring important
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Decatur
Population: 123,421
Area: 579 sq mi
Established: 1818
Tier: 3
Inmate Services
Care Packages
Send care packages to inmates in Morgan County facilities via Amazon.
