Lake Cumberland


Lake Cumberland is a reservoir in Clinton, Russell, Wayne, Pulaski and Laurel counties in Kentucky. The primary reasons for its construction were a means for flood control and the production of hydroelectric power. Its shoreline measures 1,255 miles and the lake covers at the maximum power pool elevation. The reservoir ranks 9th in the U.S. in volume, with a capacity of of water, enough to cover the entire Commonwealth of Kentucky with 3 inches of water. The main lake is long and over one mile across at its widest point.
The lake has become a major source of tourism and an economic engine for Southern Kentucky.

History

Lake Cumberland was impounded from the Cumberland River by the United States Army Corps of Engineers' construction of the Wolf Creek Dam, beginning in 1939 and ending with impoundment in 1952 after a delay caused by World War II. Wolf Creek Dam is the 25th largest dam in the United States, and cost $15 million to construct originally, with an additional $65 million needed almost immediately to fix problems which soon became apparent. It is estimated that the dam has prevented more than $500 million in flood damage since its construction. The dam bears the name of the creek that flowed into the river at the original dam site, 14 miles upstream from the constructed site. The Corps' name for the work is the Wolf Creek Project but Congress named the impoundment Lake Cumberland in 1952, adopting the name promoted by business interests in the area.

Dam repairs

In 1967 a leak was found at the Wolf Creek Dam. Repairs were made in the late 1970s at a cost of over $96 million.
On January 22, 2007, the United States Army Corps of Engineers began lowering the water level in Lake Cumberland, fearing a possible breach in Wolf Creek Dam. Water seepage had again eroded the limestone under the dam, creating the potential for a breach and subsequent flood that would cause damages into the billions of dollars in cities downstream.
By September 2011 Lake Cumberland was approximately below its normal level. The drop in water level had a negative impact on the area's tourism industry as marinas and municipalities scrambled to adjust their facilities for the lower water level. The caverns beneath the structure complicated plans for repairs, but a $594 million project to construct a new wall inside the dam was completed by early 2013. Since spring 2014 Lake Cumberland water levels returned to normal operation and water levels.

Uses

Power generation

Wolf Creek Dam's six turbines are capable of supplying the needs of an average city via 270 megawatts of electricity. The power generating capacity is considered "dead" when the lake's water level is below 673 feet.

Recreation

In 1999, approximately 4.75 million visitors added more than $152.4 million to the local economy. Of the 383 lakes controlled or maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Lake Cumberland ranks 4th in the nation for the number of visitor hours. Over 1,500 houseboats float on Lake Cumberland and numerous power play in its waters.
Lake Cumberland is home to two Kentucky state parks: Lake Cumberland State Resort Park on its shore and General Burnside State Park on an island created by the lake at the confluence of the river and its Big South Fork, along with many other docks and marinas such as:
Docks/Marinas:
Several of Kentucky's record fish have been taken in the waters of Lake Cumberland, including:

Statistics

January48 °F9 °C
February44 °F7 °C
March48 °F9 °C
April55 °F13 °C
May66 °F19 °C
June76 °F24 °C
July82 °F28 °C
August84 °F29 °C
September79 °F26 °C
October70 °F21 °C
November58 °F14 °C
December51 °F11 °C

  • The normal summer pool is around 723 feet above mean sea level.
  • The tree line is about 725 feet.
  • The maximum pool is 760 feet at the top of dam floodgates
  • The top of Wolf Creek Dam is 773 feet.
  • Lake is considered at "flood control" level from 723 to 760 feet.
  • Normal power drawdown is between 723 and 673 feet.
  • At 760 feet elevation, the shoreline of Lake Cumberland is 1,255 miles.
  • At maximum possible elevation of 760 feet, Lake Cumberland is considered to be 101 miles long, with a total surface area of.
  • Surface area at 723 feet is.
  • At minimum power pool of 673 feet, the surface area is.
  • Average depth of lake at summer pool of 723 feet above sea level: 90 feet
  • Deepest point in lake: original river channel adjacent to Wolf Creek Dam: 200 feet
  • Depth of river channel upstream of dam to Wolf Creek: generally 160 feet
  • Depth of river channel upstream of Wolf Creek to one mile downstream of Burnside: 280 feet
The lowest water level recorded was 675.10 feet above mean sea level on January 27, 1981. The highest water level recorded was 756.52 feet above mean sea level at 5:00 AM, February 26, 2019.