Lake Cumberland Water Level
The water level has been lowered on Lake Cumberland due to the Wolf Creek Dam having a leak. They lowered the lake to take the pressure off the dam. Therefore the lake has changed quite a bit. Below us we still have water, but in the spot where the private boat club was is only a stream, and they had to move most all of the boats and the dock to deeper water. So many of the marina's have had to do this. The lake still has plenty of water but it's only half full now. They are going to extend 8 docks on the lake so boats can get in. I fear it will hurt the tourism this year. Hopefully not a lot but I know it will hurt some. Already one bass tournament that was planned for Lake Cumberland has been moved to Dale Hollow Lake. They are going to be in a rush to get the ramps extended so boaters can get their watercraft in the water. They already extended the one at Burnside Island State Park.
This is a recent aerial view of Lee's Ford Marina. If you go to this link you will see a picture of what it looks like when the water level is up. Yesterday I was out at Lee's Ford Marina. They can still put boats (small boats) in and out of the water there but it will be extended to accommodate larger boats. It's still beautiful out there but sure looks different!
This picture is another ramp that was very popular but you can see how much work it would take to extend it. I don't think it's on the list for extending. You can see where the concrete ends and it would take a lot of rock to fill all that in.
This is a recent aerial view of Lee's Ford Marina. If you go to this link you will see a picture of what it looks like when the water level is up. Yesterday I was out at Lee's Ford Marina. They can still put boats (small boats) in and out of the water there but it will be extended to accommodate larger boats. It's still beautiful out there but sure looks different!
This picture is another ramp that was very popular but you can see how much work it would take to extend it. I don't think it's on the list for extending. You can see where the concrete ends and it would take a lot of rock to fill all that in.
This last picture I took at the boat club near us, or where it used to be that is!! This area was covered with houseboats and ramps, and the office building, etc. Now all that has been moved to on down below us. Actually when the water is up and the boat club is where it should be then all we have below us are houseboats and they ended right below us. Now they start almost right below us. When it dries up in the summer I'll be able to go down and walk across the lake! Or...well where the lake used to be! In this picture you can see the houseboats far in the distance right before the curve. We live on the hill above there. 
posted by Rachel at 10:55 AM
18 Comments:
Rachel
We went through that same thing from 2002-2005. Some of our lakes are still down a little.
Glad you clarified that "walk on water" statement.
Ralph
Hey Rachel, are you going to take the Polar Bear Plunge tomorrow at Lee's Ford Marina?
Clara, No I think I'll pass on the Polar Bear Plunge!! I did think about going and watching all those other people run out there in the water. Might make a good blog post!!! I might capture some big chill bumps on some of them!! HAHA
Wow! Great pictures! I can't believe how low that water level is. I wonder if you will find treasures from people who dropped and lost things in the lake.
Have a wonderful day!
*^_^
(=':'=) hugs
(")_ (")Š from
the Cool Raggedy one
Raggedy, I'd say there are some treasures out there but the corp will not allow any metal detectors or digging in the lake bed! They are party poopers!!
That was so interesting to read...it's funny how much it can change the landscape when water goes down like that! What a shame you can't go searching for some treasures! lol xox
Thanks for the photos and lake lesson.
I'm glad to picture the area where you live.
I did a houseboat trip on Cumberland with my poker buddies one summer. It was a long week!
Must be a beautiful place !
Yes, the English South East coast is very beautiful and I was so lucky with the weather ! Last year in July we had one month sunshine and heat, which doesn't happen very often ! England and Belgium have approx the same clima and it rains a lot here ! That's why the english coast is not so well known by other countries, everybody goes south for vacation to look after sunshine !
I walked in plenty of mud barefoot when I was a kid and probably would do it now too.
Rachel, are they ever going to fix the dam? Or do you guys have to deal with this downage forever? Doesn't seem fair either way. Hope that it gets clarified soon, I used to love your pics of the waterways near you!
no wonder why my mom wants to move there. You always show such lovely greenery.
That looks like just about every Lake or Reservoir in Australia after our 11 years of drought.
Such a dramatic change in water level in a lake has ecological consequences: creatures in the lake have less space, spauning beds are exposed, pollutants are concentrated, etc. I hope the dam problems are repaired and the lake water level can be restored.
What was the reference to polar bear swim. How can you have one of those without having to cut a hole in the ice to access the water! Perhaps, it is just a river otter swim.
sounds like fun to me...I did that once as a kid...it was great fun!!
:-D
What a difference between the two photos. The other photos on the link sure look like it's a nice place! I can see from the photo you posted the line where the water used to be.
Too bad they had to do that.
I think it would be GREAT fun to slosh around in that mud. If I lived nearby, I'd join you for a mud bath. We could put cucumber slices on our eyes and pretend we were having an expensive spa experience. We'd end our spa treatment with chocolate truffles!!
Have a nice weekend, Rachel. We are having torrential rains, but they are supposed to pass quickly. Until then, I'm staying indoors!!
WOW! That is incredible, Rachel...To see the difference from before to now...Lordy...it is rather scary, isn't it? And the Domino Effect of doing that to the lake---it is really very far reaching, isn't it? I hope it doesn't effect the tourism in your area because I know that will be hard on businesses that count on that!
Bummer! Three years of drought have had their way with our lake(s), too. It's also a terrible impact on the wildlife.
What a contrast between the two photos of the marina then and now. Hopefully the dam can be repaired now that some of the pressure has been taken off.
It looks like such a beautiful area.
:)
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