Lake Cumberland being lowered due to dam break fears

  • Thread starter Rich Stern [URL]http://www.kentucky.com/mld/kentuc
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Rich Stern

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Was just reading that Lake Cumberland is being lowered to 10 feet below it's normal winter pool (and 43 feet below summer pool) due to concerns of a dam break. It's going to be maintained at the new level until the damn is repaired. The fix is projected to take five to seven years.



That's going to have dire economic impact on many people.



Can anybody shed any local insight into how this will impact the lake and the surrounding communities.




http://www.kentucky.com/mld/kentucky/16519076.htm
 
My dad lives on Tuttle Creek in Kansas and It has been way way way down while they reinforced the damn on it. Perhaps someone can tell how it impacted the economy of Manhattan, Kansas.



This should have an impact on the fish as the full pool population will be concentrated into a smaller area. This should cause stress as the food supply will reduce after a time causing the overall population to be naturally reduced along with it.
 
first, IMHO, this is FEMA over-reacting, but nevertheless....



at 680 (the level it is supposed to be taken to) many of the secondary launch points will be dry, good portions of the back ends of creeks will be dry... major restructuring of several marinas, and downright closure of a couple (the ones in Wolf Creek).



"Back End of Creeks"... for those taht know, this means that much of the normal spawning areas in White Oak, Big Cub, Faubush, BoysCamp, etc... will be dry....running upstream toward London dock will likely be a thing of the past.



Alot of the "houseboat" coves will be dry....



However, there will still be plenty of water... and the lake won't be as "pretty" with so much of the bank being exposed... probably the news of this will escalate to rumors that will keep the uninformed away....but, with less places for the fish to hide, it could be really good for some of us!!!



 
Hey Sim I bet it is going to hurt the Devere gang when it comes tourny time. Maybe when can find all those brush piles in deep water they have been fishing.LOL



Donnie
 
no doubt Don... no doubt... all their "deep" structure is about to be real shallow.... and don't think I wont go do some GPS marking!



You been doing ok?
 
Sure will find out where every little stump and rock is:cool:

The fish move with the water and fishing actually may be better by concentrating baitfish in smaller areas....just gotta' figure out where they went.
 
Ben....



Are there any good launch points there to fish the Cumberland River? I keep hearing about fishing for stripers down that way and would like to know your thoughts on that.... they've shown a couple of In-Fisherman bits with Fred McLintock fishing out of that area.



Keep us updated on any thing else you hear!!!
 
Sim I am doing pretty good. I am Texas today and I heard the news on a local radio station, plus I read it in the USA today this morning. I was in Backwaters (Woodhill) just after Christmas and I think I saw you and Barb. I think it was a Wednesday, are you driving a new Dodge (Nitro?)? If so that was you. I was in a hurry and didn't realize it may had been you, until it was to late.



Donnie
 
Not in a Nitro, but I may have been driving the daughters car, an Orange Dodge Caliber....



next time you come thru, give us a hollar!





 
I am pretty sure this car was blue. Oh well...I was there kinda spur of the moment type. If I am around I will give you a shout.



Donnie
 
Some updated info... the kind that helps:



Launch ramps affected at 680 feet lake level







The Corps officially has designated the following ramps as usable at 680 feet:



Waitsboro

Cumberland Point

Conley Bottom Marina

Lee's Ford Marina

Beaver Creek Marina

Jamestown Marina

Burnside Island State Park



Launching Ramps Impacts:

Elevation - Usable - Unusable



720' - 48 - 0

705' - 38 - 10

700' - 30 - 18

685' - 20 - 28

680' - 8 - 40



 
Ain't no way around it apparently....Dam's gotta be fixed.

It does make me wonder looking at Dale Hollow dam all the time as to the structural integrity after all these years...thats a lot of water for these dams to hold back..quite amazing really.

And the Big C is twice it's size:huh:
 
Tee....



Cumberlands particular problem isnt the dam itself, its the "earthen portion" to the right of it... apparently they didn't plan well enough for the caves that exist in the rock structure, and the water found a way thru... and that part is what is weakening...(due to the seapage making little holes bigger).

 
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