Lake Cumberland is a

reservoir A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to store fresh water or it may be a natural formation. Reservoirs can be created in a number of ways, including control ...

in Clinton, Pulaski,

Russell Russell may refer to: People * Russell (given name) * Russell (surname) * Lady Russell (disambiguation) * Lord Russell (disambiguation) Places Australia * Russell, Australian Capital Territory * Russell Island, Queensland (disambiguation) ...

, Wayne, and Laurel, counties in

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to ...

. The primary reasons for its construction were a means for

flood control Flood control methods are used to reduce or prevent the detrimental effects of flood waters."Flood Control", MSN Encarta, 2008 (see below: Further reading). Flood relief methods are used to reduce the effects of flood waters or high water levels ...

and the production of hydroelectric power. Its shoreline measures 1,255 miles (2,020 km) and the lake covers at the maximum power pool elevation. The reservoir ranks 9th in the U.S. in size, with a capacity of of water, enough to cover the entire Commonwealth of Kentucky with 3 inches (76 mm) of water. The main lake is long and over one mile (1.6 km) across at its widest point. The lake has become a major source of tourism and an economic engine for south-central Kentucky. As of September 2011 Lake Cumberland was approximately below its normal level due to leakage in the earthen part of the dam, but repairs were completed in 2013 and officials estimated that lake levels would be back to normal by 2014–2015. As of April 18, 2015, the lake is back to full summer pool.

History

Lake Cumberland was impounded from the

Cumberland River The Cumberland River is a major waterway of the Southern United States. The U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed June 8, 2011 river drains almost of southern Kentucky and ...

by the United States Army Corps of Engineers' construction of the Wolf Creek Dam in 1952. 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.

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 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 Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring (disambiguation), touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tour (disambiguation), tours. Th ...

industry as

marina A marina (from Spanish language, Spanish , Portuguese language, Portuguese and Italian language, Italian : ''marina'', "coast" or "shore") is a Dock (maritime), dock or basin with moorings and supplies for yachts and small boats. A marina dif ...

s 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 and tourism officials were anticipating higher visitation numbers as the lake level was raised to 705 feet. Since spring of 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 (population of 375,000) via 270 megawatts of electricity. The power generating capacity is considered "dead" when the lake's water level is below 673 feet (205 m).

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

houseboat A houseboat is a boat that has been designed or modified to be used primarily as a home. Most houseboats are not motorized as they are usually moored or kept stationary at a fixed point, and often tethered to land to provide utilities. Ho ...

s float on Lake Cumberland and numerous power boats play in its waters. Lake Cumberland is home to two

Kentucky state parks Maintained by the Kentucky Department of Parks, Kentucky's system of 49 state parks has been referred to as "the nation's finest" and experiences more repeat business annually than those of any other U.S. state. The state's diverse geography provid ...

Lake Cumberland State Resort Park Lake Cumberland State Resort Park is a state park located on the northern shore of Lake Cumberland Lake Cumberland is a reservoir in Clinton, Pulaski, Russell, Wayne, and Laurel, counties in Kentucky. The primary reasons for its constructi ...

on its shore and General Burnside State Park on an island in the middle of the lake, along with many other docks and marinas such as: Docks/Marinas:
Grider Hill Marina
(Albany, KY)
Beaver Creek Marina
(Wayne County, KY) *

(Jamestown, KY)
Jamestown Resort & Marina
(Jamestown, KY)
Wolf Creek Marina
(Nancy, KY)
Alligator II/Indian Hills Resort
(Russel Springs, KY)
Lee's Ford Marina Resort
(Nancy, KY)
Burnside Marina
(Somerset, KY) * Bunside Island State Park (Somerset, KY)
Omega Dock
(Somerset, KY)
Marina @ Rowena
(Russel County, KY)
Conley Bottom Resort
(Wayne County, KY) Several of Kentucky's record fish have been taken in the waters of Lake Cumberland, including: *

Brown trout The brown trout (''Salmo trutta'') is a European species of salmonid fish that has been widely introduced into suitable environments globally. It includes purely freshwater populations, referred to as the riverine ecotype, ''Salmo trutta'' morp ...

(21 lb) *

Lake trout The lake trout (''Salvelinus namaycush'') is a freshwater char living mainly in lakes in northern North America. Other names for it include mackinaw, namaycush, lake char (or charr), touladi, togue, and grey trout. In Lake Superior, it can also ...

(5 lb 5 oz) *

Rainbow trout The rainbow trout (''Oncorhynchus mykiss'') is a species of trout native to cold-water tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in Asia and North America. The steelhead (sometimes called "steelhead trout") is an anadromous (sea-run) form of the coasta ...

(14 lb 6 oz) *

Sauger The sauger (''Sander canadensis'') is a freshwater perciform fish of the family Percidae that resembles its close relative, the walleye. The species is a member of the largest vertebrate order, the Perciformes.Jaeger, Matthew. 2004. Montana's Fi ...

(7 lb 7 oz) *

Striped bass The striped bass (''Morone saxatilis''), also called the Atlantic striped bass, striper, linesider, rock, or rockfish, is an anadromous perciform fish of the family Moronidae found primarily along the Atlantic coast of North America. It has als ...

(58 lb 4 oz) *

Sturgeon Sturgeon is the common name for the 27 species of fish belonging to the family Acipenseridae. The earliest sturgeon fossils date to the Late Cretaceous, and are descended from other, earlier acipenseriform fish, which date back to the Early ...

(36 lb 8 oz) *

Walleye The walleye (''Sander vitreus'', synonym ''Stizostedion vitreum''), also called the yellow pike or yellow pickerel, is a freshwater perciform fish native to most of Canada and to the Northern United States. It is a North American close relat ...

(21 lb 8 oz)

Statistics

* The normal summer pool is around 723 feet (220 m) above mean sea level. * The tree line is about 725 feet (221 m). * The maximum pool is 760 feet (232 m) at the top of dam floodgates * The top of Wolf Creek Dam is 773 feet (236 m). * Lake is considered at "flood control" level from 723 to 760 feet (220 to 232 m). * Normal power drawdown is between 723 and 673 feet (220 to 205 m). * At 760 feet (232 m) elevation, the shoreline of Lake Cumberland is 1,255 miles (2,020 km). * At maximum possible elevation of 760 feet (232 m), Lake Cumberland is considered to be 101 miles (163 km) long, with a total surface area of . * Surface area at 723 feet (220 m) is . * At minimum power pool of 673 feet (205 m), the surface area is . * Average depth of lake at summer pool of 723 feet (220 m) above sea level: 90 feet (27 m) * Deepest point in lake: original river channel adjacent to Wolf Creek Dam: 200 feet (60 m) * Depth of river channel upstream of dam to Wolf Creek: generally 160 feet (50 m) * Depth of river channel upstream of Wolf Creek to one mile (2 km) downstream of Burnside: 280 feet The lowest water level recorded (since construction) was 675.10 feet (205.77 m) above mean sea level on January 27, 1981. The highest water level recorded was 756.52 feet (230.6 m) above mean sea level at 5:00 AM, February 26, 2019.

References

External links

Lake Cumberland Tourism Information

Lake Cumberland State Parks

Lake Cumberland Corps of Engineers

PHPBB Forum rich with Data and photos of Lake Cumberland

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Cumberland 1952 establishments in Kentucky Protected areas of Clinton County, Kentucky Protected areas of Laurel County, Kentucky Protected areas of Pulaski County, Kentucky Reservoirs in Kentucky Protected areas of Russell County, Kentucky Protected areas of Wayne County, Kentucky Bodies of water of Clinton County, Kentucky Bodies of water of Laurel County, Kentucky Bodies of water of Pulaski County, Kentucky Bodies of water of Russell County, Kentucky Bodies of water of Wayne County, Kentucky Cumberland River